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Inform method with evidence: Use independent information on market confidence, growth, and customer need to assist your tactical direction. Validate investment strategies: Guarantee resource allowance and efforts are backed by reputable market insight. Accelerate confident decisions: Equip members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement rapidly and take decisive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Opportunity to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation In Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Might 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Passage (IMEC) Development Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program enhances international economic ties with 26 tactical agreements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign totally free trade pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA prepares to at least double annual US financial investments over next decade," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Reality Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are going into a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Scrutiny is greater. Threat is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will increasingly identify which organisations sustain growth and which fall behind. In reaction, Climb Club, a visibility launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level ladies, in collaboration with BusinessDay, is introducing a brand-new month-to-month conference room discussion convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the greatest levels of governance and business management and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session unites board specialists to examine the real pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Risks and Top Priorities Shaping 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulatory and governance expectations Technology interruption and cyber resilience Long-term worth production and sustainability imperatives Leadership decisions boards need to prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers include: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Climb Club and BusinessDay are purposefully creating a recurring online forum that surface areas board-level insight, magnifies credible female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
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The GCC ETF market entered Q1 2026 in a combination stage, with activity remaining elevated but growth slowing down. Total properties held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a response to geopolitical news instead of a significant brand-new capital implementation. Worldwide macro conditions set a tough background.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional pattern. Oil associated assets succeeded for the many part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright Luxury ETF released on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. Also in Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and will be authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Market (ADX). The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the market was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs providing favorable returns compared to 26 in decrease. Efficiency 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. 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 improved the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also dealt with more comprehensive macro headwinds, including a more mindful policy background in China and worldwide risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy rates. Thematic ETFs Struggled for the many part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as assessment pressures and worldwide rate characteristics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF significantly exceeded. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely focused, showing selective allocation instead of broad market participation. In spite of weak efficiency, ETFs taped $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of items attracting brand-new capital. This indicates that investors were targeting particular exposures, while decreasing or turning out of others.
Trading activity remained steady, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. Most activity appears to have occurred in the secondary market, making it possible for financiers to adjust positions without significant main developments or redemptions. While recent geopolitical events have resulted in more financial pressure on GCC countries, the region remains resilient and well capitalized to handle the circumstance.
In January, Boreas released its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, including a specific niche thematic exposure concentrated on global high-end and consumer brands. 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 introduce in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress relating to ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has impacted belief and prices throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in local possessions.
Reinventing Gulf Operations Through AI-Powered Shared SolutionsDespite continuous geopolitical stress and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show strength, preserving favorable development momentum in current years. While conflicts in the wider area and global economic unpredictability remain a structural restriction, GCC nations have actually so far restricted their influence on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy connection, and sustained financial investment.
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