AI spending forecast to reach $2.5 trillion globally in 2026
Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to reach $2.52 trillion in 2026, a 44% year-over-year increase, driven largely by infrastructure investments for training and running AI systems, according to a recent Gartner forecast.
The forecast points to AI infrastructure as the largest spending segment in 2026 at $1.366 trillion, up from $964.96 billion in 2025. The same forecast projects total AI spending rising to $3.337 trillion in 2027.
Infrastructure-related investment is expected to accelerate as technology providers expand “AI foundations,” contributing an additional $401 billion in AI infrastructure spending in 2026. The outlook also projects a 49% increase in spending on AI-optimized servers in 2026, representing 17% of total AI spending.
The forecast frames 2026 as a period where enterprises prioritize practical deployment and repeatable value. It also links buying patterns to existing enterprise software relationships, with AI capabilities more often bundled with incumbent providers than procured as standalone, high-risk projects. The same outlook ties broader scale-up to clearer visibility into return on investment.
In the Middle East, the same infrastructure-led cycle was already shaping priorities, with Gulf markets accelerating large data center buildouts backed by energy availability and capital, alongside a push to secure access to computing capacity and trusted cloud zones.
