Navigating the 2026 GCC Corporate Environment

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 Founder of Snoonu stated it was "important to construct limits" in between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "detach" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the consumer pleased, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the essential to finding an option for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in 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 area, and what follows, consisting of the growth and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in global 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 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 expected to surpass most international areas peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Maintain a Leading Advantage in 2026

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that intend to promote more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned 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 key growth drivers, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. 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 pick up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing continuous investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually can be found in building varied, resistant and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economist 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 gaining rate, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Industrial Excellence: a Strategic Pillar for Regional Growth

GCC countries are rotating towards a method of 'resilience over growth' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for a global 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 international trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology ambition to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into last preparing phases. The area is increasingly positioning itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing crucial minerals has actually ended up being a strategic top priority.