Maximising Corporate ROI through Advanced Market Planning

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what recommendations they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "essential to develop boundaries" in between work and personal 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 pleased, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the key to finding a solution for problems.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences 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, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what comes next, consisting of the expansion and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in worldwide networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resilient domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the newest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout 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 innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Accelerating Dubai Industrial Growth through Innovation

Oil incomes will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil costs, 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 increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and financial services stay essential development 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 expected to select up once again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in facilities, innovation and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually been available in structure diverse, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

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

Analysing 2026 Market Data for Strategic Insights

GCC nations are rotating towards a technique of 'durability over expansion' going into 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape specified by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation ambition to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements free of charge Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into last drafting phases. The region is progressively placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting critical minerals has become a strategic top priority.