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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 Founder of Snoonu said it was "important to build boundaries" in between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the office.
Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you work with pleased, you will make the client pleased, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the key to discovering an option for problems.
Today, we're convening 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 follows, consisting of the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in international networks of capital and trade.
Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic demand and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted 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 once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.
Development will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate additional financial investment. The financial deficit is forecasted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise 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 financial services stay key development motorists, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. 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 once again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually can be found in structure diverse, durable and internationally competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust demand and rising financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and sustained diversity efforts.
GCC countries are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over expansion' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape specified by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from innovation ambition to functional application.
Settlements for Free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in last drafting phases. The area is increasingly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting vital minerals has actually ended up being a strategic top priority.
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