Will Strategic Research Define Dubai Industrial 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 said it was "essential to construct boundaries" between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with delighted, you will make the customer delighted, who will then make the investors delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not stress" is the crucial to finding a solution for issues.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 meetings 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 financiers, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what comes next, including the growth 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 growth in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic demand and renewed financial investment momentum, according to the latest ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to surpass most worldwide areas peers next year, with local 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 investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Emerging Strategic Shifts Defining the 2026 Regional Market

Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is expected to rise once again in the 2nd half of 2026, supporting the region'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 eased foreign ownership guidelines that intend to promote additional investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil rates, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends 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 forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourist, trade and financial services stay key development chauffeurs, supported by population growth and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the 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 second half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook reinforces how far the GCC has come in building varied, resilient 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 entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust demand and increasing investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to take advantage of strong domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversity efforts.

Emerging Strategic Trends Defining the 2026 GCC Economy

GCC nations are rotating towards a strategy of 'strength over expansion' getting in 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil prices, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology ambition to functional execution.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations free of charge Trade Agreements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last drafting stages. The area is increasingly placing itself as a central hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing crucial minerals has actually become a tactical top priority.