Predicting the Next Middle East Business Environment

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 Founder of Snoonu stated it was "important to develop borders" between work and personal life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the client pleased, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not stress" is the key to finding an option for issues.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, consisting of the expansion and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resistant domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the latest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to exceed most global regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast 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 facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Future Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

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

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned 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 essential growth chauffeurs, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. 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 expected to pick up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, technology and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has come in structure varied, 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 rate, supported by robust need and increasing investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Accelerating Dubai Corporate Expansion through Strategy

GCC nations are pivoting towards a strategy of 'strength over expansion' going into 2026, as the region prepares for an international landscape specified by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening international trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from innovation aspiration to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final drafting stages. The area is progressively placing itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting important minerals has become a tactical priority.