Methods for Optimising GCC Strategy in 2026

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

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the client delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the key to discovering a service for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences 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 combining 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 role in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic demand and restored investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outperform most worldwide 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 investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Essential Tips for Operational Excellence in Dubai

Although oil incomes will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is expected to increase once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership rules that aim to promote additional investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and financial services stay essential growth chauffeurs, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

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Oil production is expected to choose up again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in facilities, technology 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 structure diverse, durable and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Operational Excellence: a Key Driver for 2026 Growth

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'resilience over expansion' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology ambition to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually entered final drafting phases. The area is increasingly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing critical minerals has become a tactical priority.