Comparing Legacy Models and 2026 Business Frameworks

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what recommendations they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "essential to construct boundaries" in between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "detach" from the workplace.

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

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value 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 expansion and continuous 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 area's economic growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, durable domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the latest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most worldwide areas peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Market

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, including relieved foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate more financial investment. The financial deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil costs, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and financial services stay crucial growth chauffeurs, supported by population growth and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in infrastructure, innovation and global trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has actually come in building varied, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust demand and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversification efforts.

How to Maintain a Leading Edge in 2026

GCC countries are pivoting towards a strategy of 'durability over growth' entering 2026, as the area gets ready for an international landscape specified by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening international trade integration, protecting industrial supply chains, and carrying out a definitive shift from technology aspiration to operational execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into last drafting stages. The region is progressively placing itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has become a tactical priority.