The Strategic Advantages of Deep Strategy Research

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 Creator of Snoonu said it was "important to develop borders" in between work and personal life and take short holidays to "detach" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the customer happy, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the essential to finding a service for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth 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 region, and what follows, consisting of the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in global 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 current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass most worldwide regions peers next year, with local GDP forecast 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 increasing investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Future Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

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

Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, including relieved foreign ownership rules that aim to promote additional investment. The financial deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay essential growth drivers, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous investment in facilities, technology and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually come in building varied, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining speed, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversification efforts.

Driving Dubai Corporate Growth through Innovation

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'durability over expansion' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for an international landscape specified by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from technology aspiration to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into last drafting stages. The area is significantly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting vital minerals has actually become a tactical priority.