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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 stated it was "crucial to develop limits" between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "detach" from the office.
Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the individuals you work with delighted, you will make the customer delighted, who will then make the shareholders pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not stress" is the essential to discovering a solution for issues.
Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences between financiers 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, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the area, and what follows, consisting of the growth and continuous advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing role in global 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 efficiency, 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 exceed most international regions peers next year, with regional GDP forecast to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

Oil profits 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 area's medium-term outlook, it stated. Saudi Arabia will remain a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.
Growth will be supported by commercial growth and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate further financial investment. The fiscal deficit is predicted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh aims to reduce inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future real estate supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of performance, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to expand. Tourism, trade and monetary services stay crucial development drivers, supported by population growth and sustained domestic need. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.
Scaling Industrial Operations Across Dubai and the GCC
Oil production is anticipated to select up once again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing continuous investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has been available in building diverse, resistant and worldwide competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Advisor, and Chief Financial Expert and Managing Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are entering 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring rate, supported by robust need and rising investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from strong domestic basics, a sharp uplift in federal government costs and continual diversity efforts.
GCC nations are rotating towards a technique of 'strength over growth' going into 2026, as the area prepares for an international landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is relocating to insulate its development from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and performing a definitive shift from innovation aspiration to functional implementation.

Settlements free of charge Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have actually gotten in last drafting stages. The area is significantly positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has ended up being a tactical concern.
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