Industrial Excellence: a Strategic Driver for 2026 Growth

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 borders" between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "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, said the ability to "not worry" is the essential to discovering an option for issues.

Today, we're assembling 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 financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic need and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass most global regions 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 increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Navigating the Next Middle East Corporate Landscape

Oil incomes will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate further investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid 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 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 financial services remain key growth motorists, supported by population development and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to choose up once again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in facilities, innovation and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually been available in building diverse, resilient and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversification efforts.

Analysing 2026 GCC Data for Future Growth

GCC countries are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over expansion' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for a worldwide landscape specified by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology 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 last drafting phases. The area is increasingly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has ended up being a strategic top priority.