Evaluating Legacy Models and 2026 Economic Frameworks

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 Creator of Snoonu stated it was "essential to develop borders" between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you work with happy, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not panic" is the key to discovering a service for problems.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between investors 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 comes next, consisting of the expansion and ongoing 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 financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most international areas peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Maintain a Leading Edge in Dubai

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

Growth will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote further financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also 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 remain key development motorists, supported by population development and sustained 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 anticipated to get again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually can be found in building diverse, durable and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining pace, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

Accelerating Dubai Industrial Expansion through Strategy

GCC countries are rotating towards a technique of 'strength over growth' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick transition 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 worldwide trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from technology ambition to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations free of charge Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final preparing stages. The region is increasingly placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has become a strategic priority.