Methods for Scaling Regional Operations in 2026

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 said it was "crucial to construct borders" in between work and individual life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

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

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value 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 changing in the area, and what follows, including the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resistant domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to surpass most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Methods for Scaling Regional Strategy in 2026

Oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of relieved foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate additional investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

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

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to pick up again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in facilities, technology and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has been available in building varied, resistant and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring rate, supported by robust demand and increasing investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government costs and sustained diversity efforts.

Accelerating Regional Industrial Expansion through Innovation

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'durability over growth' going into 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening international trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from technology aspiration to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered last drafting stages. The area is increasingly positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing crucial minerals has actually become a tactical top priority.