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Notify method with proof: Use independent information on market self-confidence, growth, and client demand to direct your strategic instructions. Verify investment plans: Guarantee resource allocation and initiatives are backed by trustworthy market insight. Accelerate confident choices: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach arrangement quickly and take definitive action.

Capital is tighter. And the quality of boardroom judgment will progressively figure out which organisations sustain growth and which fall behind. In reaction, Climb Club, an exposure launchpad curating gain access to and opportunities for board- and C-level females, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is launching a new month-to-month conference room discussion convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session unites board professionals to analyze the genuine pressures shaping board agendas today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Risks and Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Developing regulatory and governance expectations Technology disturbance and cyber durability Long-lasting worth development and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards need to prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Handling Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately producing a recurring forum that surfaces board-level insight, enhances trustworthy female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the conversation. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the most recent insights, patterns, and techniques provided straight to your inbox. Join Everest Group's newsletter to stay at the leading edge of what's next.
Overall assets held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a response to geopolitical news rather than a significant brand-new capital release. Global macro conditions set a difficult background.
The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Performance throughout the marketplace was broadly unfavorable, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decline. In general, the information shows a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity focused in a small subset of products.
Key Developments in the 2026 Middle East MarketEfficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, rather than broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in particular country direct exposures and commodities, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil direct exposure supported its local market, with Aramco reaching new highs in the middle of greater oil rates, as well as its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.
Egypt provided 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 favorable returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have actually improved the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also faced wider macro headwinds, including a more careful policy background in China and worldwide risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy rates. Thematic ETFs likewise had a hard time for the most part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth innovation, as evaluation pressures and international rate characteristics weighed on performance.
Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, reflecting selective allocation rather than broad market participation. Regardless of weak efficiency, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a small number of products bring in new capital.

Trading activity remained steady, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have taken location in the secondary market, enabling financiers to change positions without substantial main creations or redemptions.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a specific niche thematic direct exposure concentrated on worldwide luxury and customer brands. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are expected to introduce in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some progress connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the conflict has impacted sentiment and costs during the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in local possessions.
In spite of ongoing geopolitical stress and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to show strength, keeping favorable development momentum in current years. While conflicts in the wider area and worldwide economic unpredictability stay a structural constraint, GCC countries have actually up until now restricted their effect on domestic economic performance through strong financial positions, policy continuity, and continual financial investment.
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