Accelerating Regional Corporate Growth through Strategy

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to develop boundaries" between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the client happy, who will then make the investors pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the crucial to finding an option for problems.

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what follows, including the expansion and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in worldwide networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic demand and restored investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass most global regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Maximising Corporate Efficiency through Advanced Market Planning

Although oil profits will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate additional financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and financial services stay essential development drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to choose up again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually been available in building varied, resistant and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversity efforts.

How to Secure a Competitive Edge in 2026

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'resilience over expansion' entering 2026, as the region prepares for a global landscape specified by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, securing commercial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into final preparing stages. The region is progressively positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting important minerals has actually become a tactical concern.