Emerging Future Shifts Defining the 2026 GCC Market

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what advice they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu said it was "essential to construct limits" between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, responded that "the best suggestions is to constantly challenge yourself" while also making sure a healthy sleep and workout regimen. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah mentioned that to excel and "to be near your customer, you have to be enthusiastic about your work and comprehend customers' requirements". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the essential to discovering an option for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're bringing together financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the region, and what comes next, consisting of the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, durable domestic demand and restored investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to surpass most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Industrial Excellence: a Key Pillar for Regional Success

Although oil incomes 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 region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of relieved foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay essential growth motorists, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in facilities, innovation and global 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 Consultant, and Chief Economist and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Can Market Research Drive Middle East Industrial Growth?

GCC nations are pivoting towards a technique of 'durability over expansion' entering 2026, as the region prepares for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from technology aspiration to operational 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 gone into last drafting phases. The area is progressively positioning itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has actually ended up being a tactical priority.