Navigating the 2026 GCC 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 stated it was "crucial to build boundaries" between work and personal life and take brief vacations to "detach" from the office.

Tariq Bin Hendi, CEO and Board Member of Astra tech, reacted that "the very best suggestions is to continuously challenge yourself" while likewise making sure a healthy sleep and exercise regimen. Mohamed Khadiri, CEO of Bank of Sharjah explained 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 individuals you deal with pleased, you will make the consumer happy, who will then make the investors pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not stress" is the crucial to discovering an option for issues.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed companies 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 altering in the area, and what follows, consisting of the growth and ongoing advancement 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 region's financial expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector efficiency, resilient domestic need and restored investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outshine most international areas peers next year, with local GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is projected to broaden by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

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

Development will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate further investment. The financial deficit is forecasted to expand to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil rates, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to reduce 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 broaden. Tourist, trade and monetary services stay key development motorists, supported by population development and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

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Oil production is expected to choose up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing continuous financial 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 been available in building diverse, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining speed, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government spending and continual diversification efforts.

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GCC countries are pivoting towards a strategy of 'durability over growth' going into 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast 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 worldwide trade integration, securing industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from innovation ambition to operational application.

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Settlements for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gone into last drafting phases. The area is increasingly placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has ended up being a tactical priority.