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Notify strategy with proof: Use independent information on market confidence, growth, and client demand to assist your tactical direction. Validate financial investment plans: Ensure resource allotment and initiatives are backed by trustworthy market insight. Accelerate positive decisions: Equip members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take decisive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Chance to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation In Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," May 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Passage (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA programme strengthens global financial ties with 26 strategic agreements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'really quickly'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double yearly US investments over next years," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are entering a defining cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is higher. Danger is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will increasingly identify which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In reaction, Ascent Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level ladies, in partnership with BusinessDay, is launching a new regular monthly boardroom dialogue assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session brings together board professionals to take a look at the real pressures shaping board programs today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Risks and Priorities Forming 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulatory and governance expectations Innovation interruption and cyber strength Long-term worth creation and sustainability imperatives Management decisions boards should prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Climb Club and BusinessDay are purposefully producing a repeating online forum that surface areas board-level insight, enhances reliable female governance voices, and expands access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
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Overall possessions held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful new capital deployment. Worldwide macro conditions set a tough background.
The result was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional pattern. Oil related possessions succeeded for the a lot of part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright High-end ETF released on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, two more Kraneshares have actually been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Performance across the marketplace was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the information shows a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of items.
The New Rules of Talent Attraction in the UAEPerformance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in particular country direct exposures and commodities, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were durable throughout the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs in the middle of higher oil rates, along with its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. In spite of 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 conflict and resulting energy shock have actually improved the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also faced more comprehensive macro headwinds, consisting of a more mindful policy backdrop in China and international risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and greater energy costs. Thematic ETFs Had a hard time for the most part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth technology, as assessment pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF significantly exceeded. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and highly focused, showing selective allocation instead of broad market participation. In spite of weak performance, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a little number of items drawing in brand-new capital. This suggests that financiers were targeting specific direct exposures, while minimizing or turning out of others.
Trading activity stayed stable, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have taken location in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to change positions without considerable main developments or redemptions. While current geopolitical events have led to more monetary pressure on GCC nations, the region remains resilient and well capitalized to deal with the situation.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic direct exposure concentrated on global luxury and consumer 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 expected to release in April pending a last approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some progress associating with ETFs in the GCC. We expect more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has actually affected sentiment and prices during the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in local assets.
Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and security risks throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to show strength, keeping favorable development momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the wider area and global financial unpredictability stay a structural constraint, GCC countries have actually up until now restricted their effect on domestic financial efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and sustained investment.
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