Optimising Operational Efficiency through Advanced Business Planning

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

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 pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not panic" is the key to discovering a solution for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies 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 altering in the area, and what follows, including the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, durable domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass 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 innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Optimise GCC Operations in 2026

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant 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 promote more financial investment. The financial deficit is forecasted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends 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 broaden. Tourist, trade and financial services stay crucial growth motorists, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get once again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in facilities, innovation and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually been available in building diverse, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust demand and increasing investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Key Tips for Operational Excellence in the GCC

GCC countries are rotating towards a method of 'durability over growth' going into 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, 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 growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from innovation ambition to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into last preparing phases. The area is significantly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting critical minerals has become a tactical concern.