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Notify strategy with evidence: Use independent information on market confidence, growth, and customer need to direct your tactical instructions. Verify financial investment plans: Guarantee resource allotment and initiatives are backed by credible market insight. Speed up positive choices: Equip members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach arrangement rapidly and take decisive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Opportunity to Raise 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 Passage (IMEC) Development Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program enhances international financial ties with 26 tactical agreements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign totally free trade pact 'very soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double yearly United States financial investments over next years," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are entering 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 development and which fall behind. In response, Ascent Club, a presence launchpad curating gain access to 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 highest levels of governance and corporate leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session brings together board professionals to examine the real pressures forming board agendas today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Risks and Concerns Shaping 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulative and governance expectations Technology disturbance and cyber resilience Long-term worth development and sustainability imperatives Management 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 an assembling of executives contributing directly to governance, risk oversight, and strategic instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Climb Club and BusinessDay are deliberately developing a repeating online forum that surface areas board-level insight, magnifies trustworthy female governance voices, and broadens access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
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Overall assets held broadly consistent over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful new capital implementation. Global macro conditions set a difficult background.
The outcome was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional trend. Oil associated properties did well for the many part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright High-end ETF released on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. Likewise in Q1, two more Kraneshares have been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Market (ADX). The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency across the market was broadly negative, with just 13 ETFs providing positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. Performance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, rather than broad market strength.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The ongoing Middle East dispute 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 faced broader macro headwinds, consisting of a more careful policy backdrop in China and international risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical stress and higher energy rates. Thematic ETFs likewise had a hard time for the many part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as valuation pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF considerably exceeded. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and highly concentrated, showing selective allowance instead of broad market involvement. In spite of weak efficiency, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a little number of items drawing in brand-new capital. This suggests that financiers were targeting particular direct exposures, while minimizing or turning out of others.
Trading activity stayed consistent, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. Most activity appears to have actually occurred in the secondary market, allowing investors to adjust positions without considerable primary creations or redemptions. While current geopolitical occasions have resulted in more monetary pressure on GCC countries, the area stays durable and well capitalized to deal with the situation.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, including a specific niche thematic exposure concentrated on international high-end and customer 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 anticipated to introduce in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development associating with ETFs in the GCC. We expect more worldwide and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has affected sentiment and prices during the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in local possessions.
Is Your Shared Service Center Genuinely Including Worth?Despite continuous geopolitical stress and security dangers across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to show resilience, keeping positive development momentum in the last few years. While disputes in the broader area and worldwide economic uncertainty stay a structural restriction, GCC nations have so far limited their influence on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy connection, and continual financial investment.
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