All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what guidance they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "important to develop limits" in between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the office.
Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the customer delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not stress" is the key to finding a solution for issues.
Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in 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 altering in the area, and what comes next, consisting of the growth and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in international 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 efficiency, durable domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the newest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most international regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related facilities.
Oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.
Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote further investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services remain crucial growth drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.
Maximizing Corporate Efficiency Via Strategic ExcellenceOil production is expected to get again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in facilities, innovation and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has come in building diverse, resistant and internationally competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversity efforts.
GCC nations are pivoting towards a strategy of 'strength over expansion' entering 2026, as the region gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from innovation aspiration to functional implementation.
Why Is Business Excellence Vital for 2026 Expansion?Negotiations totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in final preparing phases. The region is significantly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting crucial minerals has actually ended up being a strategic concern.
Latest Posts
The Benefits of Industrial Excellence for Dubai
Driving Regional Industrial Growth through Strategic Excellence
Middle East News: Strategic Corporate Trends for 2026

