Essential Steps for Industrial Excellence in Dubai

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 said it was "important to develop borders" between work and individual life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

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

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in 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 region, and what comes next, including the growth and continuous advancement 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 expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to surpass most international regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across 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 innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Industrial Excellence: a Key Driver for 2026 Growth

Although oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote additional financial investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services stay essential growth drivers, 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 anticipated to get once again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous investment in facilities, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has can be found in structure varied, resistant and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust need and increasing investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

Analysing 2026 Market Data for Strategic Growth

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over expansion' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to functional application.

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 gone into final drafting phases. The region is significantly positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing important minerals has ended up being a tactical priority.