Essential Tips for Operational Excellence in the GCC

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 said it was "important to build borders" in between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the consumer happy, 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 service for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what follows, including the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in worldwide networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resistant domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to surpass most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Market

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

Growth will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of eased foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate additional financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain key growth drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. 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 anticipated to get again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in infrastructure, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has been available in building diverse, resistant 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 going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Comparing Legacy Systems and Future Economic Strategies

GCC nations are rotating towards a method of 'resilience over growth' going into 2026, as the region gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational 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 gone into final preparing phases. The region is progressively positioning itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing crucial minerals has become a tactical concern.