Driving Dubai Corporate Growth through Innovation

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

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with happy, you will make the customer delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the key to finding a solution for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're bringing together investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what follows, including the expansion and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the newest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most global areas 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, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Strategic Trends Defining the 2026 Regional Economy

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

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that intend to promote more investment. The financial deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services stay key development chauffeurs, supported by population development and continual domestic need. 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 expected to get once again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching continuous investment in infrastructure, technology and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually come in building varied, resistant and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining speed, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

The Strategic Benefits of Deep Strategy Intelligence

GCC nations are pivoting towards a technique of 'resilience over growth' entering 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually entered last preparing phases. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has actually ended up being a strategic concern.