Methods for Scaling GCC Strategy in 2026

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what advice they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "essential to construct boundaries" between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the office.

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

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business 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 changing in the area, and what comes next, including the expansion and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in global 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 need and renewed investment momentum, according to the latest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outshine most international regions peers next year, with local GDP forecast 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 technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Driving Dubai Industrial Growth through Innovation

Oil incomes will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate more financial investment. The financial deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services remain crucial growth drivers, supported by population development and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to get again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous investment in infrastructure, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has can be found in building diverse, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

Comparing Traditional Systems and 2026 Economic Frameworks

GCC countries are rotating towards a strategy of 'durability over expansion' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually entered final preparing stages. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting critical minerals has actually become a tactical concern.