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Notify strategy with proof: Use independent information on market self-confidence, development, and customer demand to guide your tactical instructions. Confirm financial investment plans: Guarantee resource allocation and efforts are backed by reliable market insight. Accelerate confident decisions: Equip members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach contract rapidly and take definitive action.

1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Chance to Elevate Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation 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) Development Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA programme reinforces global financial ties with 26 tactical arrangements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign totally free trade pact 'very quickly'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to at least double yearly United States financial investments over next decade," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest investor," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Fact Sheet: President Donald J.
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Total properties held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital release. Worldwide macro conditions set a tough background.
The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Efficiency across the marketplace was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the data reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a little subset of products.
Comparing Legacy Models and Future Business FrameworksPerformance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, rather than broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in particular nation exposures and commodities, especially Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were durable during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching new highs amidst higher oil costs, in addition to its continued capability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt delivered strong efficiency in January and February. Despite 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 conflict and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise faced wider macro headwinds, including a more careful policy backdrop in China and international risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and higher energy costs. Thematic ETFs Struggled for the most part, especially those linked to carbon and high-growth technology, as evaluation pressures and global rate characteristics weighed on performance.
Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, reflecting selective allotment rather than broad market involvement. Regardless of weak efficiency, ETFs taped $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of products drawing in brand-new capital.

Trading activity stayed stable, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have taken location in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to change positions without considerable primary productions or redemptions. While current geopolitical events have actually resulted in more monetary pressure on GCC countries, the area stays durable and well capitalized to handle the circumstance.
In January, Boreas released its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic direct exposure focused on international luxury and customer brands. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more worldwide and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the conflict has actually affected sentiment and prices throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional assets.
Despite ongoing geopolitical stress and security risks across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to show resilience, keeping positive growth momentum in the last few years. While disputes in the wider region and international financial unpredictability remain a structural restriction, GCC nations have actually up until now restricted their impact on domestic economic efficiency through strong financial positions, policy connection, and sustained financial investment.
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