Predicting the Next Middle East Corporate Landscape

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 build limits" between work and personal life and take short vacations to "detach" from the workplace.

Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, responded that "the very best advice is to constantly challenge yourself" while likewise making sure a healthy sleep and workout routine. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah mentioned that to excel and "to be near your consumer, you have to be enthusiastic about your work and understand consumers' needs". Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you deal with happy, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the key to discovering a service for problems.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 conferences in 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 bringing together financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the expansion and ongoing development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's financial growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resistant domestic need and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most international regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing financial investment in technology and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Navigating the Next GCC Corporate Environment

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

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate additional financial 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 intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and financial services stay crucial growth chauffeurs, supported by population growth and continual domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the 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 financial investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in building diverse, resistant and internationally competitive economies.

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

How to Maintain a Competitive Advantage in 2026

GCC nations are pivoting towards a strategy of 'strength over growth' entering 2026, as the region gets ready for a global 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 moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology ambition to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into final preparing phases. The area is significantly placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has become a strategic top priority.