Comparing Legacy Systems and 2026 Economic Strategies

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 Founder of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to construct limits" between work and individual life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the consumer happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not panic" is the key to discovering an option for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, consisting of the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in worldwide 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, resistant domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outshine most global areas peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Industrial Excellence: a Strategic Driver for Regional Growth

Oil profits 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 commercial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership rules that aim to promote more financial investment. The financial deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and monetary services remain essential growth motorists, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to choose up again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in building diverse, resistant and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring rate, supported by robust demand and increasing investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Predicting the Next GCC Business Environment

GCC countries are pivoting towards a method of 'durability over growth' getting in 2026, as the area gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation ambition to functional execution.

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 last drafting phases. The region is significantly placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting crucial minerals has become a strategic top priority.