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Inform strategy with proof: Usage independent information on market confidence, development, and customer demand to direct your tactical instructions. Validate investment strategies: Guarantee resource allowance and efforts are backed by trustworthy market insight. Speed up positive decisions: Gear up members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement rapidly and take decisive action.
Capital is tighter. And the quality of boardroom judgment will progressively determine which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In action, Climb Club, a presence launchpad curating gain access to and chances for board- and C-level women, in partnership with BusinessDay, is launching a new monthly boardroom dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the greatest levels of governance and corporate management and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session brings together board practitioners to analyze the genuine pressures shaping board programs today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Concerns Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulative and governance expectations Innovation interruption and cyber strength Long-term worth production and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards need to prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Moderator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and strategic direction within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Climb Club and BusinessDay are purposefully creating a repeating forum that surfaces board-level insight, amplifies reputable female governance voices, and expands access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the conversation. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the latest insights, patterns, and strategies provided straight to your inbox. Sign up with Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the forefront of what's next.
The GCC ETF market entered Q1 2026 in a debt consolidation phase, with activity staying elevated but growth slowing down. Total properties held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued rearranging and as a response to geopolitical news rather than a significant new capital release. International macro conditions set a tough background.
The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Efficiency across the market was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs providing positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the data reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity focused in a little subset of products.
Ways to Leverage Market Research for 2026 SuccessEfficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in particular nation direct exposures and commodities, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient throughout the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil direct exposure supported its local market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs amidst higher oil rates, as well as its continued capability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt delivered strong performance in January and February. Despite a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also dealt with broader macro headwinds, consisting of a more cautious policy background in China and international risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs Struggled for the many part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as assessment pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF significantly exceeded. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, showing selective allotment instead of broad market involvement. Despite weak efficiency, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a little number of products drawing in brand-new capital. This shows that investors were targeting specific exposures, while reducing or rotating out of others.
Trading activity remained steady, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have actually happened in the secondary market, enabling investors to adjust positions without significant main productions or redemptions. While current geopolitical occasions have actually resulted in more monetary pressure on GCC nations, the region remains durable and well capitalized to handle the circumstance.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic exposure concentrated on international high-end and customer brands. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are anticipated to launch in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development associating with ETFs in the GCC. We anticipate more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the conflict has affected belief and rates during the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional properties.
Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and security dangers throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to demonstrate strength, preserving positive development momentum recently. While conflicts in the broader area and worldwide financial unpredictability stay a structural restraint, GCC nations have actually up until now limited their impact on domestic economic efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy connection, and continual financial investment.
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