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Notify strategy with evidence: Usage independent data on market confidence, growth, and client need to direct your tactical direction. Confirm financial investment strategies: Ensure resource allocation and initiatives are backed by credible market insight. Accelerate confident decisions: Gear up members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take decisive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Chance to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation In Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," May 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Passage (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program enhances international financial ties with 26 tactical agreements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign totally free trade pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double yearly US investments over next years," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are getting in a defining cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is greater. Danger is more interconnected. And the quality of conference room judgment will increasingly figure out which organisations sustain growth and which fall behind. In action, Climb Club, a presence launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level females, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is introducing a brand-new month-to-month boardroom discussion convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the greatest levels of governance and business management and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session combines board specialists to examine the genuine pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Forming 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Developing regulative and governance expectations Technology disturbance and cyber durability Long-lasting value development and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards need to prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers include: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Handling Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.

Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing directly to governance, risk oversight, and tactical direction within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately producing a repeating online forum that surfaces board-level insight, enhances trustworthy female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to join the discussion. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the latest insights, patterns, and techniques delivered directly to your inbox. Join Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the forefront of what's next.
The GCC ETF market gotten in Q1 2026 in a consolidation phase, with activity remaining elevated however development slowing down. Overall possessions held broadly constant over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a response to geopolitical news instead of a significant brand-new capital deployment. International macro conditions set a challenging backdrop.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional trend. Oil associated assets did well for the most part. On the positive side, in January, the Boreas Outright Luxury ETF released on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. Also in Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Market (ADX). The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Performance throughout the market was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, rather than broad market strength.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. In spite of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have improved the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise faced wider macro headwinds, including a more cautious policy backdrop in China and worldwide risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs Had a hard time for the many part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as evaluation pressures and international rate characteristics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF considerably outperformed. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, reflecting selective allocation rather than broad market participation. Despite weak performance, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a little number of products attracting brand-new capital. This indicates that financiers were targeting specific direct exposures, while decreasing or rotating out of others.

Trading activity stayed consistent, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have happened in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to adjust positions without considerable main creations or redemptions. While recent geopolitical occasions have resulted in more financial pressure on GCC nations, the region stays resilient and well capitalized to handle the circumstance.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a specific niche thematic direct exposure focused on global luxury and customer brand names. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress associating with ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the conflict has affected belief and costs during the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional assets.
Navigating GCC Market Strategy in 2026In spite of ongoing geopolitical tensions and security risks across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show resilience, preserving positive development momentum in recent years. While conflicts in the broader area and international financial unpredictability stay a structural constraint, GCC nations have up until now limited their influence on domestic financial efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy connection, and continual investment.
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