Comparing Traditional Systems and Future Economic Frameworks

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" in between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the office.

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

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings 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 bringing together financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, consisting of the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in global 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 performance, resistant domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising financial investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

The Operational Advantages of Deep Market Research

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

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including reduced foreign ownership rules that intend to promote more investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and financial services remain crucial development drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to select up again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in building diverse, resistant and globally competitive economies.

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

Reviewing 2026 Market Research for Future Insights

GCC countries are rotating towards a strategy of 'strength over expansion' entering 2026, as the area prepares for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from technology aspiration to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into final drafting stages. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing crucial minerals has become a strategic top priority.