Key Tips for Industrial Excellence in the GCC

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 Founder of Snoonu said it was "important to construct limits" in between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" 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 investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not panic" is the key to finding a service for problems.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 meetings 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 combining financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, consisting of the expansion and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outperform most global regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Maintain a Competitive Advantage in 2026

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of eased foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote additional investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil rates, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and financial services stay crucial development chauffeurs, supported by population development and sustained 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 2nd half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in infrastructure, technology and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has can be found in structure diverse, resistant and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring rate, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

How to Scale Regional Operations in 2026

GCC nations are rotating towards a method of 'durability over growth' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from innovation ambition to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last drafting stages. The area is progressively positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting crucial minerals has actually become a strategic concern.