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Inform technique with proof: Use independent information on market confidence, growth, and customer demand to guide your strategic instructions. Confirm investment plans: Make sure resource allowance and efforts are backed by reliable market insight. Speed up confident decisions: Equip members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach arrangement quickly and take definitive action.

Capital is tighter. And the quality of boardroom judgment will increasingly identify which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In reaction, Ascent Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and opportunities for board- and C-level women, in partnership with BusinessDay, is introducing a brand-new month-to-month boardroom dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate management and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session combines board specialists to analyze the genuine pressures forming board agendas today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Shaping 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Developing regulatory and governance expectations Technology disturbance and cyber durability Long-lasting value production and sustainability imperatives Management choices boards should prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers consist of: 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 straight to governance, danger oversight, and tactical direction within their organisations. Through this partnership, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately producing a repeating online forum that surfaces board-level insight, amplifies credible female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the discussion. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the current insights, trends, and techniques delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up with Everest Group's newsletter to stay at the forefront of what's next.
Overall properties held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a response to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital implementation. Worldwide macro conditions set a challenging background.
The outcome was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional pattern. Oil related properties succeeded for the most part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Absolute High-end ETF released on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. Also in Q1, two more Kraneshares have been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Performance across the market was broadly unfavorable, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decline. Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, rather than broad market strength.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published favorable returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise dealt with more comprehensive macro headwinds, including a more cautious policy background in China and worldwide risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs likewise had a hard time for the most part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as appraisal pressures and global rate characteristics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF significantly outshined. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, reflecting selective allocation rather than broad market participation. In spite of weak performance, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of products drawing in new capital. This suggests that financiers were targeting specific exposures, while reducing or rotating out of others.

Trading activity remained stable, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have taken place in the secondary market, making it possible for financiers to change positions without significant main productions or redemptions.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic direct exposure focused on worldwide high-end and consumer brands. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some development relating to 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 prices throughout the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional possessions.
In spite of ongoing geopolitical tensions and security threats throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to show strength, keeping favorable growth momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the broader area and international economic uncertainty remain a structural restraint, GCC countries have up until now limited their effect on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy connection, and sustained financial investment.
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