Can Market Research Drive Middle East Corporate Success?

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Creator of Snoonu stated it was "important to develop limits" in between work and personal life and take short vacations 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 shareholders pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the crucial to discovering a solution for problems.

Today, we're convening more than 3000 meetings in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're bringing together investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what follows, consisting of the expansion and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in worldwide networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to surpass most international regions 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 financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Navigating the 2026 Middle East Corporate Landscape

Oil profits 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 specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership rules that intend to stimulate further investment. The financial deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil rates, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services stay crucial growth drivers, supported by population growth 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 select up again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing continuous financial investment in facilities, innovation and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has can be found in building varied, resilient and internationally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economist and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is getting speed, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of strong domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Methods for Scaling GCC Operations in 2026

GCC countries are pivoting towards a technique of 'resilience over expansion' going into 2026, as the region prepares for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick 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 global trade combination, protecting commercial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from innovation aspiration to operational implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations free of charge Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into last preparing stages. The region is significantly positioning itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting important minerals has become a strategic concern.