How to Maintain a Leading Advantage in 2026

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what advice they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "crucial to build boundaries" between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the workplace.

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

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences 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 combining investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what follows, including the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in international 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, resistant domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass most international regions peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising financial investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Key Steps for Operational Excellence in Dubai

Although oil incomes will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is expected to increase again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate further investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to reduce inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned 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 financial services stay crucial growth chauffeurs, supported by population development and continual domestic demand. 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 get again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in infrastructure, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually been available in structure varied, durable and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is getting pace, supported by robust need and rising financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversification efforts.

Essential Steps for Operational Excellence in the GCC

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'durability over expansion' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for a global landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift 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 global trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from innovation ambition to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into final drafting stages. The region is progressively placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing critical minerals has actually ended up being a tactical priority.