Navigating the Next GCC Corporate Environment

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what guidance they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "essential to construct borders" between work and individual life and take brief vacations to "detach" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the customer pleased, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not stress" is the crucial to finding a solution for problems.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 meetings between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value 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 altering in the region, and what follows, including the growth and continuous 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 financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resistant domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most international regions peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Methods for Scaling Regional Strategy in 2026

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

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate more investment. The financial deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection 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 growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, showing 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 infrastructure, technology and international 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, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economic Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Analysing 2026 Market Research for Future Insights

GCC countries are pivoting towards a method of 'resilience over growth' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for an international landscape specified 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 transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually entered final preparing phases. The area is significantly positioning itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting important minerals has ended up being a strategic top priority.