Evaluating Traditional Models and 2026 Economic Frameworks

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what recommendations they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "important to construct borders" in between work and individual life and take short holidays to "disconnect" from the office.

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

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings 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 combining financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what comes next, consisting of the expansion and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in worldwide 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, resilient domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to exceed most international regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across 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 innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Essential Steps for Operational Excellence in the GCC

Although oil revenues will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, consisting of eased foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote additional financial investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil costs, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain crucial development chauffeurs, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching continuous investment in facilities, innovation and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually can be found in building diverse, resilient and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, 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 demand and increasing investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

The Strategic Advantages of Advanced Strategy Intelligence

GCC nations are pivoting towards a strategy of 'resilience over expansion' entering 2026, as the region prepares for an international landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from technology ambition to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final drafting phases. The region is increasingly placing itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting crucial minerals has become a strategic priority.