Can Market Analytics Define Dubai Industrial Success?

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 Creator of Snoonu said it was "important to build borders" between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "disconnect" from the office.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the individuals you work with happy, you will make the customer delighted, who will then make the shareholders delighted."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the capability to "not panic" is the key to finding an option for issues.

Today, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings 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 uniting financiers, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the region, and what follows, including the growth and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in international 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 performance, durable 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 outperform most worldwide 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 investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Operational Excellence: a Key Driver for 2026 Growth

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

Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including eased foreign ownership rules that aim to stimulate more financial investment. The fiscal deficit is forecasted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year amid softer oil costs, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 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, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get once again in the 2nd half of 2026, matching ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and global trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook strengthens how far the GCC has been available in structure diverse, durable and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Economic Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, said: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring speed, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic principles, a sharp uplift in government spending and sustained diversity efforts.

Methods for Scaling Regional Strategy in 2026

GCC nations are pivoting towards a technique of 'durability over growth' getting in 2026, as the area gets ready for a global landscape specified by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the quick shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and carrying out a decisive shift from innovation aspiration to functional implementation.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gone into last drafting stages. The area is increasingly placing itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing important minerals has become a strategic priority.