Driving Regional Industrial Growth through Innovation

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 "important to construct limits" in between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the customer happy, who will then make the investors pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the key to finding an option for problems.

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what follows, 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 economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outperform most global regions peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Accelerating Dubai Industrial Growth through Strategy

Oil incomes will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected 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 expansion and policy reforms, including reduced foreign ownership guidelines that intend to promote more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and financial services remain key development drivers, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. 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 choose up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in facilities, innovation 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 varied, resistant and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring rate, supported by robust demand and rising financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

Optimising Operational ROI through Advanced Business Planning

GCC countries are rotating towards a strategy of 'resilience over expansion' getting in 2026, as the area gets ready for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to operational execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in final drafting phases. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, protecting crucial minerals has become a strategic priority.