All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
Inform method with proof: Use independent data on market confidence, growth, and client need to guide your strategic direction. Validate investment plans: Ensure resource allotment and efforts are backed by trustworthy market insight. Accelerate positive choices: Gear up members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach contract rapidly and take decisive action.
Capital is tighter. And the quality of conference room judgment will increasingly identify which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In response, Climb Club, a presence launchpad curating gain access to and opportunities for board- and C-level females, in collaboration with BusinessDay, is launching a brand-new monthly conference room discussion assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate leadership and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session brings together board professionals to examine the real pressures shaping board agendas today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Forming 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Developing regulative and governance expectations Innovation interruption and cyber resilience Long-term value creation and sustainability imperatives Management choices boards should 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 an assembling of executives contributing directly to governance, threat oversight, and strategic direction within their organisations. Through this partnership, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately creating a repeating online forum that surfaces board-level insight, magnifies credible female governance voices, and broadens access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the discussion. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the latest insights, trends, and strategies provided straight to your inbox. Sign up with Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the leading edge of what's next.
Total assets held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital release. Worldwide macro conditions set a challenging background.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional trend. Oil associated possessions succeeded for the a lot of part. On the positive side, in January, the Boreas Outright High-end ETF released on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. Also in Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and will be authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency across the market was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs providing favorable returns compared to 26 in decrease. Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, rather than broad market strength.
Egypt provided strong performance in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still posted favorable returns for the quarter. The ongoing Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have actually improved the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise dealt with broader macro headwinds, including a more careful policy backdrop in China and worldwide risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical stress and higher energy rates. Thematic ETFs likewise had a hard time for the most part, especially those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as evaluation pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF considerably outperformed. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, reflecting selective allotment rather than broad market participation. Despite weak performance, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of items attracting brand-new capital. This shows that financiers were targeting particular direct exposures, while lowering or turning out of others.
Trading activity remained steady, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have actually happened in the secondary market, enabling financiers to adjust positions without substantial primary creations or redemptions. While recent geopolitical events have actually resulted in more monetary pressure on GCC countries, the region stays resilient and well capitalized to handle the situation.
In January, Boreas released its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic exposure concentrated on global high-end and consumer brand names. 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 last approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some development connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the dispute has actually impacted sentiment and prices throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional possessions.
Regardless of ongoing geopolitical stress and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show strength, preserving favorable growth momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the broader region and global financial uncertainty stay a structural restriction, GCC nations have so far restricted their effect on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy connection, and sustained investment.
Latest Posts
Actionable Tips for Navigating the Regional Landscape
Corporate Strategy in a Evolving GCC Market
Maximising Corporate ROI through Strategic Business Planning


