Will Strategic Analytics Drive Dubai Corporate Growth?

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what advice they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu said it was "essential to construct limits" in between work and personal life and take short vacations to "detach" from the office.

Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, reacted that "the finest advice is to continuously challenge yourself" while likewise making sure a healthy sleep and exercise routine. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah pointed out that to excel and "to be near your customer, you have to be passionate about your work and comprehend clients' needs". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you deal with pleased, you will make the customer delighted, who will then make the investors pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not worry" is the essential to finding a solution for issues.

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies 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 altering in the region, and what comes next, including the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outperform most international areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Evaluating Traditional Systems and 2026 Business Frameworks

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

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including relieved foreign ownership guidelines that intend to promote more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil costs, 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 placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and monetary 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, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

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

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

Operational Excellence: a Key Pillar for 2026 Success

GCC countries are pivoting towards a strategy of 'strength over growth' going into 2026, as the region prepares for an international landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade integration, protecting industrial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to functional implementation.

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 entered last drafting stages. The region is significantly positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting crucial minerals has become a tactical top priority.