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Capital is tighter. And the quality of conference room judgment will progressively identify which organisations sustain growth and which fall behind. In action, Ascent Club, an exposure launchpad curating gain access to and opportunities for board- and C-level females, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is releasing a brand-new regular monthly conference room dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate management and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session brings together board specialists to examine the real pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulatory and governance expectations Innovation disturbance and cyber resilience Long-term worth development and sustainability imperatives Management choices boards need to prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Moderator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Handling Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately developing a repeating forum that surface areas board-level insight, magnifies reputable female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
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The GCC ETF market gotten in Q1 2026 in a consolidation phase, with activity staying raised but growth slowing down. Overall assets held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels indicated continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful new capital implementation. Global macro conditions set a challenging backdrop.
The outcome was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional trend. Oil related possessions did well for the most part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Absolute Luxury ETF released on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. Also in Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the market was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decline. Overall, the information reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity focused in a small subset of products.
Scaling Corporate Growth Within Dubai and the GCCEfficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, rather than broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in specific nation direct exposures and commodities, especially Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resistant during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil direct exposure supported its local market, with Aramco reaching new highs in the middle of higher oil prices, along with its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published favorable returns for the quarter. The ongoing Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also dealt with wider macro headwinds, including a more mindful policy background in China and international risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions and higher energy rates. Thematic ETFs likewise struggled for the many part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as assessment pressures and global rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF substantially exceeded. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, showing selective allocation rather than broad market participation. Despite weak efficiency, ETFs taped $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of products attracting brand-new capital. This indicates that investors were targeting particular exposures, while reducing or turning out of others.
Trading activity stayed constant, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have actually taken location in the secondary market, making it possible for financiers to adjust positions without significant primary developments or redemptions.
In January, Boreas released its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, including a specific niche thematic exposure focused on international high-end and customer brand names. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress associating with ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more worldwide and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the dispute has affected sentiment and costs during the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional assets.
Despite ongoing geopolitical stress and security threats throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show resilience, maintaining favorable development momentum over the last few years. While conflicts in the broader region and global financial unpredictability remain a structural restriction, GCC countries have actually up until now restricted their effect on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy continuity, and sustained investment.
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