How to Scale GCC Operations in 2026

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 Founder of Snoonu said it was "important to develop borders" in between work and individual life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not stress" is the key to discovering a solution for problems.

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, consisting of the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most international areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising financial investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Analysing New Market Research for Future Insights

Although oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay crucial growth motorists, supported by population development and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to select up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in facilities, innovation and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in structure varied, resistant and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is getting rate, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Optimising Operational Efficiency through Advanced Business Research

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'durability over growth' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick 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 combination, securing commercial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

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