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El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "essential to develop boundaries" between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the office.
Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, reacted that "the very best recommendations is to constantly challenge yourself" while likewise making sure a healthy sleep and exercise routine. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah mentioned that to excel and "to be close to your client, you have to be passionate about your work and comprehend consumers' requirements". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make individuals you deal with happy, you will make the client delighted, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the key to discovering a solution for problems.
Today, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're combining financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what comes next, including the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role 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 performance, resilient domestic need 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 global areas peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

Although oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.
Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate additional investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services remain crucial development motorists, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

Oil production is expected to get again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has come in building diverse, resistant and internationally competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversity efforts.
GCC countries are pivoting towards a technique of 'strength over expansion' entering 2026, as the region prepares for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from innovation ambition to operational implementation.
Why Future-Focused Strategy Reshapes the GCC EconomySettlements free of charge Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into last preparing stages. The area is increasingly positioning itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing critical minerals has ended up being a tactical concern.
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