By: Rana AlBorno: Assistant Vice President, Manager Corporate Communications, Mashreq

The communications landscape in 2025 was defined by acceleration of technology, rising of audience expectations, and an intensified demand for strategic clarity. Amid this pace, one lesson became clear. Simplicity, when guided by purpose and transparency, emerged as a powerful differentiator. In a region as diverse as MENA, teams that could turn complexity into clear and relevant messaging earned deeper trust from stakeholders and stronger engagement across channels. For communications leaders, this reinforced a fundamental principle. In times of transformation, clarity has a greater impact than volume.

In 2026, the field of communications is entering another important phase shaped by the development of Agentic AI. Unlike earlier tools, this new wave of intelligence is not meant to replace human insight but to enhance it. The most effective use of AI will be in helping teams work faster, draw better insights from data, and stay more closely aligned with audience needs. The real measure of success will lie in how naturally these tools fit within existing workflows. Communications professionals will look for AI solutions that support creative thinking, adapt across platforms, and respect the way teams already operate. The future of communications will not be driven by automation alone, but by technology that empowers people to focus on what matters most.