All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
Inform method with proof: Use independent data on market self-confidence, development, and customer demand to direct your strategic direction. Confirm financial investment strategies: Make sure resource allotment and efforts are backed by reliable market insight. Accelerate confident decisions: Equip members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take definitive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Opportunity to Elevate Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," May 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Development Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program reinforces global economic ties with 26 strategic arrangements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'really quickly'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double annual US financial investments over next years," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards throughout Africa are going into a defining cycle. Capital is tighter. Examination is higher. Danger is more interconnected. And the quality of conference room judgment will progressively identify which organisations sustain growth and which fall back. In action, Ascent Club, a visibility launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level women, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is releasing a new month-to-month boardroom dialogue assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the greatest levels of governance and corporate leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session unites board professionals to examine the genuine pressures shaping board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Risks and Top Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulative and governance expectations Technology interruption and cyber resilience Long-lasting value creation and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards should prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers include: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Handling Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing directly to governance, threat oversight, and strategic direction within their organisations. Through this partnership, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are purposefully creating a recurring forum that surfaces board-level insight, enhances trustworthy female governance voices, and broadens access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
Get the current insights, trends, and techniques provided straight to your inbox. Join Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the forefront of what's next.
Total possessions held broadly constant over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful new capital deployment. International macro conditions set a tough background.
The outcome was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional trend. Oil associated properties did well for the a lot of part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright Luxury ETF released on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Performance throughout the marketplace was broadly negative, with just 13 ETFs providing favorable returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the data shows a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of items.
Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in specific country direct exposures and commodities, especially Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were durable during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil direct exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs in the middle of greater oil costs, along with its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. Despite a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have actually improved the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise dealt with broader macro headwinds, including a more careful policy backdrop in China and global risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and higher energy costs. Thematic ETFs also had a hard time for the most part, especially those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as assessment pressures and global rate dynamics weighed on performance.
Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely focused, showing selective allocation rather than broad market involvement. In spite of weak performance, ETFs taped $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a little number of products drawing in brand-new capital.
Trading activity remained stable, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have taken place in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to change positions without considerable primary developments or redemptions.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic direct exposure focused on worldwide luxury and consumer brands. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some progress associating with ETFs in the GCC. We expect more worldwide and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has impacted belief and rates during the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional assets.
The Benefits for Strategic Excellence for 2026Regardless of continuous geopolitical stress and security risks across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show durability, preserving favorable development momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the wider area and global economic uncertainty remain a structural constraint, GCC countries have up until now limited their effect on domestic economic efficiency through strong financial positions, policy connection, and continual financial investment.
Latest Posts
Comparing Future-Focused Strategies Versus Traditional Business
How Future-Focused Strategy Reshapes the GCC Economy
Maximizing Industrial Growth Through Operational Excellence
