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Inform method with evidence: Usage independent information on market confidence, growth, and customer need to assist your tactical instructions. Validate investment strategies: Guarantee resource allotment and efforts are backed by reputable market insight. Accelerate positive choices: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement rapidly and take definitive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA between the GCC and the UK is a Major Strategic Chance to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Might 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Passage (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA programme enhances global economic ties with 26 strategic arrangements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign free trade pact 'really soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA prepares to at least double annual United States investments over next years," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards throughout Africa are going into a defining cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is greater. Risk is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will increasingly figure out which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In response, Climb Club, a presence launchpad curating gain access to and chances for board- and C-level ladies, in collaboration with BusinessDay, is introducing a new regular monthly boardroom discussion convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
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The GCC ETF market gone into Q1 2026 in a debt consolidation stage, with activity staying raised however growth slowing. Total assets held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a reaction to geopolitical news instead of a significant new capital deployment. Worldwide macro conditions set a difficult background.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional pattern. Oil associated properties did well for the a lot of part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright High-end ETF launched on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. Also in Q1, two more Kraneshares have actually been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and will be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Market (ADX). The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the market was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs delivering favorable returns compared to 26 in decline. In general, the data reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a little subset of products.
Performance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in specific nation direct exposures and products, especially Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were durable during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs in the middle of greater oil prices, in addition to its continued capability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.
Egypt delivered strong performance in January and February. In spite of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still posted positive returns for the quarter. The ongoing Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also faced more comprehensive macro headwinds, consisting of a more mindful policy background in China and worldwide risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs also had a hard time for the a lot of part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as evaluation pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on performance.
Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, showing selective allotment rather than broad market involvement. Regardless of weak performance, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a little number of items bring in brand-new capital.
Trading activity remained steady, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have happened in the secondary market, enabling financiers to adjust positions without considerable primary creations or redemptions. While recent geopolitical occasions have led to more financial pressure on GCC nations, the region remains resistant and well capitalized to deal with the circumstance.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, including a niche thematic exposure concentrated on global high-end and customer brands. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are expected to release in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some progress relating to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the conflict has actually affected belief and rates throughout the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in local possessions.
Understanding the Impact of New Commercial Codes in OmanRegardless of continuous geopolitical tensions and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to demonstrate resilience, keeping favorable growth momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the larger area and international economic uncertainty remain a structural constraint, GCC nations have so far limited their impact on domestic economic efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and sustained financial investment.
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