The Operational Advantages of Deep Strategy Intelligence

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 build limits" in between work and individual life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not worry" is the key to discovering a solution for issues.

This week, we're assembling 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 uniting investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, including the expansion 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 region's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resistant domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the newest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most international regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reviewing 2026 GCC Data for Strategic Insights

Although oil revenues will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that aim to promote more investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay key development chauffeurs, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get once again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has actually been available in building varied, durable and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust demand and rising financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Essential Steps for Industrial Excellence in the GCC

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over growth' going into 2026, as the area prepares for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid 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 global trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from technology aspiration to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements free of charge Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final drafting stages. The area is progressively 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 ended up being a strategic top priority.