Will Strategic Analytics Drive Middle East Industrial Growth?

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 "essential to construct boundaries" in between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the workplace.

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

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're combining investors, companies, 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 area's growing role in global 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, durable domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to exceed most global areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Accelerating Dubai Corporate Expansion through Strategy

Oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to increase once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area'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.

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including reduced foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate further investment. The financial deficit is projected to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to ease inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and financial services stay essential growth drivers, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. 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 once again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in facilities, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has actually been available in structure varied, durable and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Predicting the 2026 GCC Corporate Landscape

GCC nations are pivoting towards a technique of 'durability over growth' getting in 2026, as the area prepares for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into final drafting phases. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting critical minerals has actually become a tactical concern.