Evaluating Legacy Systems and 2026 Economic Frameworks

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 Creator of Snoonu said it was "crucial to construct boundaries" between work and individual life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with pleased, you will make the customer pleased, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the ability to "not stress" is the essential to discovering a service for problems.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're combining financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the growth and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in worldwide 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, resilient domestic demand and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the newest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most global regions peers next year, with local 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 rising investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Comparing Traditional Systems and Future Economic Frameworks

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate additional investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the current five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and financial services stay essential development chauffeurs, 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 expected to get again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing financial investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually been available in building varied, resistant and internationally competitive economies.

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

Optimising Operational ROI through Advanced Business Research

GCC countries are rotating towards a method of 'strength over growth' going into 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from innovation aspiration to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final drafting stages. The area is significantly positioning itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has ended up being a strategic top priority.