Comparing Traditional Systems and Future Business Frameworks

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

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the customer pleased, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not worry" is the essential to discovering a service for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth 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 continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to surpass most worldwide regions peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Can Strategic Research Define Dubai Industrial Growth?

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

Development will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership guidelines that intend to promote further investment. The financial deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to alleviate 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 financial services stay key development chauffeurs, supported by population development 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 anticipated to choose up once again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. 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, durable and internationally competitive economies.

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

Key Tips for Industrial Excellence in Dubai

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'durability over growth' going into 2026, as the region gets ready for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, protecting industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from innovation aspiration to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered final preparing phases. The area is significantly placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting important minerals has actually become a strategic concern.