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Inform method with evidence: Use independent data on market confidence, growth, and client need to guide your tactical instructions. Validate financial investment plans: Make sure resource allowance and initiatives are backed by reliable market insight. Accelerate confident choices: Equip members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement rapidly and take decisive action.
Capital is tighter. And the quality of conference room judgment will progressively identify which organisations sustain growth and which fall behind. In response, Ascent Club, a presence launchpad curating gain access to and opportunities for board- and C-level females, in partnership with BusinessDay, is launching a new monthly boardroom dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business leadership and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session brings together board specialists to analyze the real pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Risks and Priorities Forming 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulatory and governance expectations Technology interruption and cyber strength Long-lasting worth production and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards must prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers include: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Handling Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, danger oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Climb Club and BusinessDay are purposefully creating a recurring online forum that surface areas board-level insight, amplifies reliable female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to join the conversation. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the latest insights, patterns, and strategies delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up with Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the leading edge of what's next.
The GCC ETF market entered Q1 2026 in a combination stage, with activity staying raised however growth slowing. Total possessions held broadly constant over the quarter, while trading levels indicated continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful new capital implementation. Worldwide macro conditions set a tough backdrop.
The outcome was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional pattern. Oil associated assets succeeded for the many part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Absolute High-end ETF launched on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. In Q1, two more Kraneshares have been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Performance across the marketplace was broadly unfavorable, 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 focused in a little subset of products.
Why Soft Skills Are the New UAE Currency for 2026Performance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in specific country 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 brand-new highs in the middle of higher oil costs, in addition to its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt delivered strong performance in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published favorable returns for the quarter. The ongoing Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also faced more comprehensive macro headwinds, consisting of a more cautious policy background in China and international risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs Struggled for the most part, especially those connected to carbon and high-growth innovation, as valuation pressures and international rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF substantially surpassed. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, showing selective allowance rather than broad market participation. Regardless of weak performance, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of products drawing in brand-new capital. This suggests that investors were targeting particular exposures, while decreasing or rotating out of others.
Trading activity remained constant, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. Many activity appears to have happened in the secondary market, enabling financiers to adjust positions without significant primary creations or redemptions. While recent geopolitical events have actually led to more financial pressure on GCC nations, the area remains resistant and well capitalized to deal with the circumstance.
In January, Boreas released its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, including a niche thematic exposure focused on worldwide high-end and consumer brand names. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are expected to release in April pending a last approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some development connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has actually affected sentiment and rates during the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional assets.
Regardless of continuous geopolitical stress and security dangers across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to demonstrate durability, preserving favorable growth momentum in recent years. While conflicts in the larger area and international financial uncertainty stay a structural constraint, GCC countries have actually so far restricted their effect on domestic financial efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and continual investment.
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