Analysing New GCC Data for Future Insights

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 Creator of Snoonu said it was "important to build borders" in between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the consumer pleased, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not panic" is the essential to discovering an option for problems.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the growth and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in global 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 performance, resilient domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most global regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Operational Excellence: a Strategic Driver for Regional Success

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 area's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of relieved foreign ownership rules that aim to promote additional investment. The financial deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil costs, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay crucial growth drivers, supported by population development and continual domestic need. 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 choose up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing continuous investment in facilities, technology and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens 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 Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining pace, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

Optimising Operational ROI through Advanced Business Research

GCC nations are rotating towards a technique of 'durability over growth' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from technology ambition to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in final preparing phases. The region is significantly placing itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing critical minerals has become a tactical priority.