Methods for Scaling Regional Operations in 2026

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 Founder of Snoonu said it was "crucial to develop borders" in between work and personal life and take short holidays to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the consumer happy, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not panic" is the essential to finding a solution for issues.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 meetings between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business 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 changing in the region, and what comes next, consisting of the expansion and ongoing advancement 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 financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most international areas peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Predicting the Next GCC Business Environment

Although oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will stay a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate further investment. The financial deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services remain key growth drivers, supported by population growth and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to pick up again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in facilities, technology and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually come in building varied, resistant and worldwide competitive economies.

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

The Operational Advantages of Deep Market Intelligence

GCC nations are rotating towards a method of 'resilience over growth' getting in 2026, as the area prepares for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, securing commercial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered final preparing stages. The area is increasingly placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting important minerals has actually become a tactical priority.