Navigating the Next GCC Business Environment

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to construct boundaries" between work and individual life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with happy, you will make the customer pleased, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not stress" is the essential to discovering an option for issues.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in 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 bringing together financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what follows, consisting of the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the newest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outperform most worldwide regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Future Shifts Defining the 2026 GCC Market

Oil profits will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, including reduced foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote further investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and monetary services stay key development drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to get again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing continuous investment in infrastructure, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has can be found in building varied, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining speed, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Reviewing 2026 GCC Research for Strategic Insights

GCC nations are pivoting towards a strategy of 'resilience over growth' getting in 2026, as the area prepares for a worldwide 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 transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last drafting stages. The area is significantly placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing important minerals has actually become a strategic top priority.