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Inform strategy with evidence: Use independent data on market self-confidence, growth, and customer demand to direct your strategic instructions. Verify investment strategies: Make sure resource allowance and efforts are backed by trustworthy market insight. Accelerate positive choices: Gear up members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take decisive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA between the GCC and the UK is a Major Strategic Chance to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation In Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," May 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program reinforces worldwide economic ties with 26 strategic agreements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to at least double yearly US investments over next years," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are entering a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is higher. Threat is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will progressively figure out which organisations sustain growth and which fall back. In action, Climb Club, a presence launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level women, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is introducing a brand-new month-to-month boardroom dialogue assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate management and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session unites board specialists to examine the genuine pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Forming 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulatory and governance expectations Innovation disturbance and cyber resilience Long-lasting value production and sustainability imperatives Management decisions boards must prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Moderator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately producing a repeating online forum that surfaces board-level insight, magnifies reputable female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
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The GCC ETF market entered Q1 2026 in a consolidation phase, with activity remaining raised however growth slowing. Overall properties held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels indicated continued rearranging and as a response to geopolitical news instead of a significant new capital implementation. International macro conditions set a difficult backdrop.
The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency across the marketplace was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs providing positive returns compared to 26 in decline. In general, the data shows a market that is active but narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of items.
Evaluating Traditional Models and 2026 Economic StrategiesPerformance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, rather than broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in particular nation exposures and products, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its local market, with Aramco reaching new highs amidst higher oil rates, in addition to its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have actually improved the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also faced more comprehensive macro headwinds, consisting of a more mindful policy backdrop in China and global risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs also had a hard time for the a lot of part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as assessment pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF substantially exceeded. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, reflecting selective allowance instead of broad market involvement. Regardless of weak efficiency, ETFs taped $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of items bring in new capital. This shows that investors were targeting specific direct exposures, while minimizing or turning out of others.
Trading activity stayed constant, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. Most activity appears to have actually taken location in the secondary market, enabling investors to adjust positions without considerable main productions or redemptions.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a specific niche thematic exposure focused on global luxury and customer brands. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development relating to ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the conflict has impacted belief and costs throughout the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in local properties.
In spite of continuous geopolitical tensions and security threats throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to demonstrate strength, keeping favorable growth momentum in recent years. While disputes in the wider region and worldwide economic unpredictability remain a structural restraint, GCC countries have actually so far restricted their effect on domestic economic efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and sustained financial investment.
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