Evaluating Legacy Systems and 2026 Business Frameworks

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what guidance they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu stated it was "important to build boundaries" in between work and personal life and take short 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 consumer pleased, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the key to finding a solution for issues.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between financiers 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, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, including the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function 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 performance, resilient domestic need and restored 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 local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Future Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

Although oil profits will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership guidelines that aim to promote further investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to ease inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay key growth motorists, supported by population development and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to pick up again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous financial investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has actually been available in structure diverse, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining pace, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversification efforts.

Essential Steps for Operational Excellence in Dubai

GCC countries are pivoting towards a strategy of 'strength over growth' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for a global landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from technology ambition to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements free of charge Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final drafting stages. The area is progressively positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing critical minerals has become a tactical top priority.