Accelerating Dubai Corporate Growth through Strategy

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 Founder of Snoonu stated it was "essential to construct borders" in between work and individual life and take short vacations to "detach" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the consumer happy, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not stress" is the crucial to finding a solution for problems.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're bringing together investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what follows, including the expansion and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role 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 efficiency, resilient domestic need and restored financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to exceed most international regions peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and rising financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

How to Maintain a Leading Edge in Dubai

Although oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to rise again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the area's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate more investment. The financial deficit is projected to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst 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 placed for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain crucial development chauffeurs, supported by population development and continual 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 once again in the second half of 2026, matching ongoing investment in infrastructure, innovation and international trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has actually come in building diverse, resistant 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 speed, supported by robust demand and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of solid domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversification efforts.

Accelerating Regional Industrial Expansion through Strategy

GCC nations are pivoting towards a method of 'durability over growth' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a global landscape defined 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 transferring to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from innovation ambition to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Settlements for 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 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 tactical priority.