Emerging Strategic Shifts Defining the 2026 Regional Market

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 stated it was "essential to construct boundaries" between work and individual life and take short vacations to "detach" from the workplace.

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

Today, we're convening 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 financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what follows, consisting of the expansion and continuous 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 growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resilient domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most worldwide regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

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

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate more investment. The fiscal 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 intends to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and financial services remain essential development drivers, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the 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, complementing ongoing investment in facilities, technology and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in building diverse, durable and internationally 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 pace, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Essential Steps for Operational Excellence in Dubai

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'strength over growth' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from technology ambition to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last drafting stages. The region is progressively placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting vital minerals has actually become a strategic priority.