Driving Regional Industrial Expansion through Innovation

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 stated it was "essential to construct borders" between work and individual life and take short vacations to "detach" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the consumer pleased, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not worry" is the essential to finding a solution for problems.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings 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 combining investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what comes next, consisting of 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 economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic need and renewed 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 local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Analysing 2026 Market Research for Future Growth

Oil revenues will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership rules that aim to promote further financial investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to ease 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 essential growth motorists, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, showing 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 infrastructure, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has come in structure diverse, durable and worldwide competitive economies.

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

Industrial Excellence: a Strategic Driver for 2026 Success

GCC countries are rotating towards a method of 'strength over growth' entering 2026, as the region gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology ambition to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in final drafting stages. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has become a tactical top priority.