All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
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 Creator of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to build borders" in between work and personal life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.
Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, reacted that "the very best advice is to constantly challenge yourself" while likewise ensuring a healthy sleep and exercise regimen. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah mentioned that to excel and "to be near your customer, you need to be enthusiastic about your work and comprehend consumers' needs". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you deal with delighted, you will make the client happy, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not stress" is the essential to finding an option for problems.
Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're bringing together financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what comes next, including the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region'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, durable domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most global regions peers next year, with regional 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 rising investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.
Oil profits will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.
Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain essential growth motorists, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.
How AI Transformation Does Fuel Success?Oil production is expected to pick up once again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually been available in building varied, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust demand and rising financial 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.
GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over expansion' going into 2026, as the region gets ready for an international landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition 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 international trade integration, protecting industrial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to functional application.
Strategic Tips for Mastering the 2026 GCC LandscapeSettlements free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in last preparing phases. The region is significantly placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting vital minerals has ended up being a strategic top priority.
Latest Posts
How Future-Focused Strategy Reshapes the GCC Economy
Unlocking Operational Excellence in Dubai's Industrial Sector
Sustainable Regional Industrial Growth Models in 2026


