Accelerating Regional Industrial Expansion through Strategy

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 stated it was "crucial to construct boundaries" in between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the workplace.

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

This week, we're assembling 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 bringing together investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the region, and what comes next, including the growth and ongoing 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 financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resistant domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most international areas 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, enhancing credit conditions and rising financial investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Driving Regional Corporate Expansion through Strategy

Oil profits will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region'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.

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate additional investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also 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 financial services remain essential growth motorists, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. 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 anticipated to get once again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in facilities, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has actually come in building varied, resistant and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring pace, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Maximising Corporate ROI through Strategic Market Research

GCC nations are rotating towards a method of 'resilience over growth' getting in 2026, as the region prepares for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, securing commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from technology aspiration to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered final preparing stages. The region is significantly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has ended up being a strategic priority.