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Inform method with evidence: Usage independent information on market confidence, growth, and customer need to guide your strategic instructions. Confirm financial investment plans: Guarantee resource allotment and efforts are backed by reputable market insight. Speed up confident decisions: Gear up 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 Chance to Elevate Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation In Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," May 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA programme strengthens international economic ties with 26 strategic contracts," 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 prepares to at least double annual United States financial investments over next decade," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest investor," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards throughout Africa are going into a defining cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is higher. Threat 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 presence launchpad curating gain access to and chances for board- and C-level women, in partnership with BusinessDay, is launching a new regular monthly conference room discussion assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business management and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session brings together board professionals to take a look at the real pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Forming 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulative and governance expectations Innovation disruption and cyber durability Long-term value production and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards must prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Moderator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing straight to governance, risk oversight, and strategic instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately developing a recurring online forum that surface areas board-level insight, enhances reliable female governance voices, and broadens access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
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The GCC ETF market entered Q1 2026 in a combination phase, with activity staying raised however growth slowing. Total assets held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital deployment. Worldwide macro conditions set a difficult background.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional pattern. Oil related assets did well for the many part. On the positive side, in January, the Boreas Absolute High-end ETF introduced 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 authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency across the market was broadly negative, with just 13 ETFs delivering favorable returns compared to 26 in decline. Performance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, rather than broad market strength.
Egypt delivered strong performance in January and February. In spite of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published favorable returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have improved the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also dealt with more comprehensive macro headwinds, including a more cautious policy backdrop in China and worldwide risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and higher energy rates. Thematic ETFs Struggled for the a lot of part, especially those linked to carbon and high-growth technology, as evaluation pressures and worldwide rate characteristics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF substantially outperformed. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and highly concentrated, reflecting selective allocation instead of broad market participation. Regardless of weak efficiency, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a little number of items drawing in brand-new capital. This indicates that financiers were targeting specific exposures, while minimizing or rotating out of others.
Trading activity remained consistent, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have actually happened in the secondary market, allowing investors to adjust positions without substantial primary developments or redemptions. While recent geopolitical occasions have actually led to more monetary pressure on GCC nations, the area stays durable and well capitalized to deal with the scenario.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, including a specific niche thematic exposure concentrated on international high-end and consumer brand names. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are expected to release in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some development associating with ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the conflict has affected sentiment and costs during the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional properties.
Beyond Salary: What Keeps UAE Professionals Loyal Today?Regardless of ongoing geopolitical stress and security dangers throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to demonstrate durability, preserving positive growth momentum in current years. While conflicts in the larger area and worldwide economic uncertainty remain a structural restraint, GCC nations have up until now restricted their influence on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy continuity, and continual investment.
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