Essential Tips for Operational Excellence in the GCC

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what advice they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu said it was "crucial to build borders" between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "detach" from the workplace.

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

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the region, and what follows, including the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in worldwide 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 efficiency, resilient domestic demand and restored investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most global regions peers next year, with local GDP projection 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, improving credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

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Oil profits will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of eased foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate further financial investment. The financial deficit is forecasted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain crucial development chauffeurs, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to pick up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing continuous financial investment in facilities, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in structure varied, durable and internationally competitive economies.

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

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GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'durability over expansion' going into 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick 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 combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from technology aspiration to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually entered last drafting phases. The area is progressively placing itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing vital minerals has actually ended up being a tactical priority.