Reviewing 2026 GCC Data for Strategic Growth

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 Founder of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to build boundaries" in between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with happy, you will make the consumer delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the crucial to discovering an option for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings 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 financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, resilient domestic need 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 global areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

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Oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including relieved foreign ownership rules that aim to promote further financial investment. The financial deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services stay crucial 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.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is anticipated to get again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has been available in building diverse, durable and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is getting pace, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Accelerating Regional Corporate Expansion through Innovation

GCC countries are rotating towards a strategy of 'strength over expansion' going into 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape specified by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, securing industrial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to operational implementation.

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Settlements free of charge Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered last drafting phases. The region is significantly 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 become a tactical priority.