Driving Regional Corporate Growth through Innovation

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what recommendations they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu said it was "important to develop limits" between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the consumer delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the key to finding a solution for issues.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business 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 changing in the area, and what follows, consisting of 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 region's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic need and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most international areas 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 rising financial investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Predicting the 2026 Middle East Business Environment

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. 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 expansion and policy reforms, consisting of relieved foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate additional financial investment. The financial deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay crucial growth chauffeurs, supported by population growth and sustained 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 get once again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, innovation and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually can be found in structure varied, resilient and globally competitive economies.

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

Operational Excellence: a Key Pillar for Regional Growth

GCC countries are pivoting towards a technique of 'strength over growth' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements totally free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in last drafting phases. The area is significantly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing critical minerals has actually become a tactical priority.