Analysing 2026 Market Research for Future Growth

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

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

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're combining financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the region, and what comes next, consisting of the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resilient domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most global regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising financial investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

The Operational Benefits of Deep Market Research

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, including reduced foreign ownership rules that aim to promote additional investment. The financial deficit is projected to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims 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 increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services stay key growth drivers, supported by population development and continual 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 select up again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in facilities, technology and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually come in building diverse, resistant and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining speed, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Navigating the 2026 GCC Business Landscape

GCC countries are pivoting towards a technique of 'durability over expansion' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape specified 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 transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, protecting industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in final drafting stages. The region is increasingly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting important minerals has actually ended up being a strategic top priority.