Maximising Operational ROI through Strategic Market Research

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what recommendations they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "essential to build borders" between work and individual life and take brief 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 investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not worry" is the crucial to discovering a solution for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the expansion and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function 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 efficiency, resistant domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outshine most worldwide areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

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Although oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that intend to promote more financial investment. The financial deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay essential growth chauffeurs, supported by population growth and sustained 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 expected to get once again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing continuous investment in infrastructure, technology and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually can be found in building diverse, durable and globally competitive economies.

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

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GCC countries are rotating 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 fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation ambition to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last drafting stages. The area is progressively positioning itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing vital minerals has ended up being a strategic concern.