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Inform method with evidence: Usage independent information on market confidence, growth, and client need to guide your strategic direction. Validate investment plans: Guarantee resource allotment and efforts are backed by reliable market insight. Speed up confident decisions: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take definitive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Opportunity to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," May 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Passage (IMEC) Development Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program reinforces worldwide financial ties with 26 strategic contracts," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double yearly United States financial investments over next years," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Fact Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are entering a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Examination is greater. Risk is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will increasingly figure out which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In reaction, Climb Club, an exposure launchpad curating gain access to and opportunities for board- and C-level women, in partnership with BusinessDay, is releasing a new regular monthly boardroom dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate management and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session unites board specialists to analyze the real pressures forming board agendas today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Developing regulatory and governance expectations Innovation disruption and cyber strength Long-lasting value production and sustainability imperatives Management decisions boards must prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers include: 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, risk oversight, and strategic instructions within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are purposefully producing a recurring forum that surfaces board-level insight, amplifies reliable female governance voices, and expands access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
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The GCC ETF market gotten in Q1 2026 in a debt consolidation phase, with activity remaining elevated but growth slowing down. Total properties held broadly consistent over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a significant new capital release. International macro conditions set a tough backdrop.
The outcome was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional trend. Oil related possessions did well for the most part. On the positive side, in January, the Boreas Outright Luxury ETF introduced on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have actually 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 throughout the market was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decline. Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, rather than broad market strength.
Egypt delivered strong efficiency in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East dispute 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 dealt with more comprehensive macro headwinds, consisting of a more mindful policy backdrop in China and global risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and higher energy prices. Thematic ETFs Had a hard time for the most part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as evaluation pressures and international rate characteristics weighed on efficiency.
Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and highly concentrated, showing selective allotment rather than broad market participation. Despite weak performance, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a small number of products drawing in new capital.
Trading activity remained stable, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have actually taken location in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to adjust positions without considerable primary productions or redemptions.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic exposure focused on worldwide high-end and customer brands. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development relating to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the conflict has actually impacted sentiment and costs during the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional properties.
Despite continuous geopolitical tensions and security dangers across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to demonstrate strength, maintaining favorable development momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the larger area and global economic unpredictability stay a structural restriction, GCC nations have up until now limited their influence on domestic economic performance through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and continual financial investment.
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