Maximising Operational Efficiency through Advanced Business Research

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "important to develop boundaries" in between work and personal life and take short vacations to "detach" from the workplace.

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

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value 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 changing in the area, and what follows, consisting of the growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass most international regions peers next year, with regional 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, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 Regional Market

Oil profits will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, consisting of relieved foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote additional investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to expand 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 reduce inflationary pressures, though it might 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 motorists, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to select up once again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching ongoing financial investment in facilities, technology and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has can be found in structure varied, resistant and globally 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 getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversity efforts.

The Operational Benefits of Advanced Strategy Intelligence

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over expansion' getting in 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape specified by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in final preparing stages. The region is progressively positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing vital minerals has become a tactical top priority.