By Nicole Junkermann, originally published in Lana Time.
Nicole Junkermann, founder of NJF Holdings and NJF Capital, argues that geopolitical tension in the Gulf is not interrupting long-term investment in artificial intelligence and life sciences – it is the backdrop against which that investment is accelerating. Writing in Lana Time, she examines how the UAE and Saudi Arabia are building sovereign AI infrastructure at scale, while Gulf sovereign wealth funds deepen their presence in biotech, genomics and clinical research.
Her central argument is that both sectors reward patience and long-horizon capital – characteristics more available in the Gulf than in many Western markets. Where short-term performance pressure creates friction for Western investors, the Gulf’s structural capacity to think in decades rather than quarters creates opportunity. The piece positions the region not as a passive adopter of technology developed elsewhere, but as an active participant in shaping the next generation of AI and biomedical systems. The infrastructure being laid – in compute, clinical research and sovereign data – is not contingent on a stable external environment. It is, in part, a hedge against one.
Read the full piece at: https://en.lanatime.com/tech/the-gulfs-long-game-in-ai-and-life-sciences-2026-04-07/
Key takeaways