Evaluating Legacy Models and 2026 Business Frameworks

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

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the client delighted, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the essential to finding a solution for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value 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 follows, consisting of the expansion and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in international networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, durable domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to exceed most international areas peers next year, with regional GDP forecast 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 technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Methods for Scaling Regional Strategy in 2026

Oil profits 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 mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate further financial investment. The financial deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services remain crucial development drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. 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, complementing ongoing investment in infrastructure, technology and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has been available in structure diverse, durable and internationally 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 getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring pace, supported by robust demand and increasing investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Will Strategic Analytics Define Middle East Industrial Growth?

GCC nations are rotating towards a method of 'durability over expansion' entering 2026, as the region gets ready for a global landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations free of charge Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into last preparing stages. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting vital minerals has actually ended up being a tactical priority.