All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what guidance they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "crucial to develop boundaries" in between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the workplace.
Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with happy, you will make the consumer happy, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the essential to discovering a service for issues.
Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're combining investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the region, and what follows, including the growth and ongoing development 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 area's financial growth 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 exceed most global areas peers next year, with local 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 financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.
Although oil profits will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. 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 expansion and policy reforms, consisting of relieved foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate additional investment. The financial deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain essential development motorists, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.
Emerging Future Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC EconomyOil production is anticipated to get once again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous investment in infrastructure, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has actually can be found in structure varied, resistant and globally competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversity efforts.
GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'strength over growth' going into 2026, as the region prepares for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, protecting industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology ambition to functional execution.
Settlements free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into last drafting phases. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing critical minerals has actually ended up being a strategic concern.
Latest Posts
The Advantages for Operational Efficiency for 2026
Traditional Versus Global Strategy in the GCC Region
Emerging Future Shifts Shaping the 2026 Regional Economy


