Predicting the 2026 GCC Corporate Landscape

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 "crucial to construct boundaries" between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "detach" from the office.

Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, responded that "the very best advice is to continuously challenge yourself" while also making sure a healthy sleep and exercise regimen. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah mentioned that to stand out and "to be close to your client, you have to be passionate about your work and understand customers' requirements". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you deal with delighted, you will make the consumer delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the crucial to discovering an option for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings 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 bringing together financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, including the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in international 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, durable domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most worldwide areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

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

Growth will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership rules that intend to promote additional investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to relieve inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay essential development motorists, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

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Oil production is expected to choose up once again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in infrastructure, technology and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has been available in structure varied, resilient and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring rate, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversification efforts.

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GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'resilience over expansion' entering 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology aspiration to functional application.

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Settlements free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into last preparing stages. The area is progressively positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting important minerals has actually ended up being a strategic priority.