Predicting the Next Middle East 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 Creator of Snoonu stated it was "essential to construct limits" between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the consumer pleased, who will then make the shareholders pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not panic" is the crucial to discovering a service for issues.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings 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 uniting financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what comes next, consisting of the expansion and continuous development 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 growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to exceed most international areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising financial investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Will Market Analytics Define Middle East Industrial Success?

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

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate additional financial investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay crucial development chauffeurs, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the 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, complementing ongoing financial investment in infrastructure, technology and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has can be found in structure diverse, resistant and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is getting pace, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Comparing Legacy Models and Future Business Strategies

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'strength over expansion' getting in 2026, as the area gets ready for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, protecting industrial 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 entered final drafting phases. The area is increasingly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting critical minerals has become a tactical priority.