Accelerating Dubai Industrial Expansion through Strategy

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 said it was "essential to develop boundaries" between work and personal life and take short vacations to "detach" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the consumer delighted, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the key to discovering a service for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings in 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 bringing together financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what comes next, including the expansion and ongoing advancement 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, durable domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most global areas peers next year, with regional 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 increasing investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Methods for Optimising GCC Strategy in 2026

Oil incomes will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote further investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services remain key development drivers, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to choose up again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing investment in facilities, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has can be found in building diverse, resistant 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 acquiring 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 sustained diversity efforts.

Essential Tips for Industrial Excellence in the GCC

GCC countries are pivoting towards a method of 'durability over growth' getting in 2026, as the area prepares for a global landscape specified by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from innovation ambition to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in final preparing phases. The region is increasingly placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has ended up being a tactical concern.