A recent survey showed that more than 80% of traders in the Middle East and North Africa region base their investment strategies on US policies and developments in artificial intelligence.
Saxo Bank’s Q4 2025 Investment Outlook report considered this an indication of a growing awareness of global changes and their impact on markets.
The report indicated that the policies of US President Donald Trump represent the most prominent factor in investment decisions, at 83% of participants, followed by artificial intelligence-based technologies at 79%.
Survey results
The survey included more than 1,800 investors from 11 global markets, confirming that traders in the Middle East and North Africa region are leading the way in adopting technology and keeping abreast of geopolitical shifts to guide their financial decisions.
The survey results showed that 55% of participants in the Middle East and North Africa use artificial intelligence tools in their investment operations, outperforming the global average of 52%.
This trend is particularly evident among the 46-60 age group, where 64% use these tools compared to 53% globally, reflecting the region's readiness to adopt next-generation technologies to support financial decision-making.
The survey also shows that AI-powered chatbots are the most popular, with 36% of participants relying on them to analyze news, 30% to get investment advice, and 23% to predict market movements, highlighting the pragmatic approach traders in the region are taking to integrating innovation into their daily investment tools.
Diversifying the portfolio
Regarding portfolio strategy, the survey concluded that 58% of participants in the region continue to invest in familiar sectors and regions, while 24% seek to diversify their portfolios during the last quarter of the year, in line with the global trend towards risk management and innovation.
In a related context, 64% of those surveyed expect a rise or a significant rise in US stocks, compared to 38% for local markets (...).
Based on these expectations, North America remains the preferred destination for 46% of traders in the Middle East and North Africa region, while the same number of participants expressed caution regarding the performance of European markets.
Transformations
Commenting on the survey results, Saxo Bank’s Head of Global Investment Strategy, Jakob Falkencrone, said in a statement: “The region’s clients’ view of the investment world is very striking. Their confidence in global markets compared to local ones represents an important shift and is something that deserves to be considered from two angles.”
He adds: “On the one hand, we usually talk about local bias—the tendency of investors to favor their domestic markets—and this trend completely contradicts that idea. On the other hand, despite the turmoil the world is experiencing, our clients’ opinions indicate that the global economy still has the potential to excel and perform better.”
Damien Hitchin, CEO of Saxo Bank in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Traders in the region are helping to shape the global investment landscape, using artificial intelligence as a practical tool to support their decisions, focusing on global trends, and placing international markets at the heart of their strategies.”
He continues: The goal now is the conscious use of technology while maintaining a balance in diversification. Investors recognize that global developments can create local opportunities, reflecting growing confidence and a flexible strategic vision that believes global growth is the foundation of financial sustainability.
