Will Market Analytics Drive Middle East Industrial Growth?

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 Creator of Snoonu said it was "crucial to construct borders" between work and individual life and take brief vacations to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the customer pleased, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the crucial to discovering an option for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between investors 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 growth and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in worldwide 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 performance, resilient domestic demand and renewed investment momentum, according to the most current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outperform most global areas peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Maintain a Leading Edge in 2026

Oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will remain a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of reduced foreign ownership guidelines that intend to promote further investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil rates, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and financial services stay key growth motorists, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. 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 anticipated to select up again in the second half of 2026, matching continuous investment in infrastructure, technology and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually been available in structure diverse, durable and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring pace, supported by robust need and increasing investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversity efforts.

Can Strategic Research Drive Dubai Industrial Growth?

GCC nations are pivoting towards a technique of 'resilience over growth' going into 2026, as the region prepares for a global landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is transferring to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade integration, securing commercial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from technology aspiration to operational application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered last drafting stages. The region is progressively placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has become a strategic concern.