Predicting the 2026 GCC Business Landscape

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what advice they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to construct borders" in between work and personal life and take short vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, reacted that "the very best recommendations is to continuously challenge yourself" while also guaranteeing a healthy sleep and exercise routine. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah explained that to excel and "to be close to your customer, you need to be passionate about your work and comprehend customers' needs". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with pleased, you will make the customer happy, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the crucial to discovering a service for issues.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're bringing together financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what follows, including the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in worldwide networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic demand and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the latest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outperform most international areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Operational Excellence: a Key Driver for Regional Success

Although 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 region's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will stay a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, including reduced foreign ownership rules that aim to promote more investment. The financial deficit is forecasted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil costs, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and financial services stay key growth drivers, supported by population development and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get once again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in facilities, technology and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually been available in structure diverse, resilient and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust demand and increasing investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversity efforts.

Essential Steps for Industrial Excellence in the GCC

GCC nations are rotating towards a method of 'resilience over growth' entering 2026, as the region prepares for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift 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 worldwide trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational execution.

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 entered final preparing phases. The area is increasingly positioning itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting vital minerals has actually ended up being a strategic concern.