Will Strategic Research Define Middle East Corporate Success?

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "important to develop limits" in between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "detach" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with pleased, you will make the consumer pleased, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not panic" is the key to discovering an option for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in 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, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the growth and continuous development 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 region's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most global areas peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

The Operational Advantages of Advanced Market Research

Although oil incomes will be under pressure in the 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 mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate further investment. The financial deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay essential growth drivers, supported by population development and sustained 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 continuous investment in facilities, technology and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually come in structure diverse, durable and globally competitive economies.

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

How to Maintain a Competitive Advantage in 2026

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'resilience over expansion' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast 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 global trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last drafting stages. The area is progressively placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing crucial minerals has actually become a strategic concern.