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Inform strategy with proof: Use independent data on market self-confidence, growth, and client need to guide your strategic direction. Verify investment plans: Ensure resource allotment and efforts are backed by trustworthy market insight. Accelerate confident decisions: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach arrangement rapidly and take definitive action.
Capital is tighter. And the quality of boardroom judgment will progressively figure out which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In action, Climb Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level ladies, in partnership with BusinessDay, is introducing a brand-new regular monthly conference room dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business leadership and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session unites board practitioners to analyze the real pressures forming board agendas today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Risks and Concerns Forming 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Developing regulatory and governance expectations Technology disturbance and cyber durability Long-term worth development and sustainability imperatives Management choices boards should 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 a convening of executives contributing directly to governance, threat oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Climb Club and BusinessDay are deliberately producing a repeating forum that surfaces board-level insight, amplifies credible female governance voices, and broadens access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the discussion. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the latest insights, trends, and methods delivered straight to your inbox. Join Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the forefront of what's next.
Total properties held broadly consistent over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a significant brand-new capital deployment. Global macro conditions set a tough background.
The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Performance throughout the market was broadly unfavorable, with only 13 ETFs delivering favorable returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the data reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity focused in a little subset of items.
Driving Regional Industrial Expansion through Strategic ExcellencePerformance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in particular nation exposures and commodities, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching new highs amid higher oil prices, in addition to its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt delivered 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 posted positive returns for the quarter. The ongoing Middle East conflict 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 faced more comprehensive macro headwinds, consisting of a more cautious policy background in China and international risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions and higher energy costs. Thematic ETFs also had a hard time for the many part, especially those linked to carbon and high-growth technology, as evaluation pressures and international rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF significantly outperformed. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and highly concentrated, reflecting selective allotment instead of broad market involvement. Despite weak efficiency, ETFs taped $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a small number of items drawing in new capital. This indicates that investors were targeting specific direct exposures, while decreasing or turning out of others.
Trading activity remained stable, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have taken place in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to adjust positions without considerable main productions or redemptions.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, including a niche thematic direct exposure focused on global luxury and consumer brand names. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are expected to release in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has impacted belief and prices during the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in local assets.
How Is Operational Excellence Vital for Future Growth?Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and security risks across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show resilience, maintaining positive growth momentum recently. While conflicts in the broader region and global economic uncertainty remain a structural constraint, GCC nations have actually up until now restricted their impact on domestic financial performance through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and continual investment.
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