Reviewing 2026 GCC Data for Future Growth

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 stated it was "crucial to build boundaries" in between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with pleased, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not panic" is the crucial to finding a solution for problems.

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences between financiers 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 investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, including the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resilient domestic need and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most worldwide areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Maintain a Competitive Edge in 2026

Although oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate further investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services remain essential development motorists, supported by population growth and continual 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 continuous investment in facilities, technology and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has can be found in building diverse, resilient and internationally 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 entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring pace, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversification efforts.

The Operational Advantages of Deep Market Research

GCC countries are rotating towards a method of 'durability over expansion' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from technology aspiration to operational execution.

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Settlements free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into final preparing stages. The region is increasingly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing vital minerals has become a strategic top priority.