Emerging Developments in the 2026 GCC Economy

Notify technique with evidence: Usage independent information on market confidence, growth, and customer demand to assist your strategic instructions. Validate investment plans: Make sure resource allotment and initiatives are backed by reliable market insight. Speed up positive choices: Equip members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take decisive action.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Significant Strategic Opportunity to Elevate Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation In Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Might 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Passage (IMEC) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program enhances international economic ties with 26 strategic contracts," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign complimentary trade pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA prepares to a minimum of double yearly United States investments over next years," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Fact Sheet: President Donald J.

Boards across Africa are entering a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is greater. Threat is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will increasingly figure out which organisations sustain growth and which fall back. In response, Ascent Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level women, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is releasing a new regular monthly conference room discussion convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business management and who are members of Ascent Club.

Ways to Leverage GCC Intelligence for Success

This inaugural session brings together board specialists to analyze the genuine pressures shaping board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Threats and Priorities Shaping 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulatory and governance expectations Innovation disruption and cyber durability Long-lasting worth production and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards should prioritise heading into 2026 Ascent members and speakers consist of: Moderator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing directly to governance, danger oversight, and strategic instructions within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are deliberately developing a repeating forum that surfaces board-level insight, amplifies reliable female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.

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Advanced Strategy for Regional Leadership

Overall properties held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a significant new capital implementation. International macro conditions set a challenging backdrop.

The result was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional pattern. Oil related possessions did well for the a lot of part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright High-end ETF introduced on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have actually been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Market (ADX). The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the marketplace was broadly unfavorable, with only 13 ETFs providing favorable returns compared to 26 in decline. In general, the information reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a little subset of items.

Performance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, rather than broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in specific nation exposures and commodities, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil direct exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching new highs amid greater oil prices, along with its continued capability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.

How Does Business Excellence Vital for 2026 Expansion?

Egypt provided strong efficiency in January and February. In spite of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still posted positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock have improved the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.

The sector also faced wider macro headwinds, including a more careful policy backdrop in China and international risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and higher energy prices. Thematic ETFs likewise struggled for the a lot of part, especially those linked to carbon and high-growth technology, as appraisal pressures and worldwide rate characteristics weighed on performance.

The petrochemical ETF substantially surpassed. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely focused, showing selective allotment instead of broad market participation. In spite of weak performance, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a little number of products drawing in new capital. This suggests that investors were targeting specific direct exposures, while lowering or rotating out of others.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Crucial Data From Latest GCC Market Analysis Reports

Trading activity remained stable, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. The majority of activity appears to have actually occurred in the secondary market, allowing financiers to adjust positions without considerable main productions or redemptions. While current geopolitical occasions have resulted in more monetary pressure on GCC countries, the area stays durable and well capitalized to handle the circumstance.

In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, adding a specific niche thematic exposure focused on worldwide luxury and consumer brand names. Momentum continued into April with the approval of KraneShares AGIX and KWIN ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX. These funds are expected to introduce in April pending a last approval from ADX.

Q1 2026 showed some progress connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the conflict has impacted belief and prices throughout the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in local assets.

In spite of ongoing geopolitical tensions and security risks across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to demonstrate resilience, keeping positive growth momentum recently. While conflicts in the wider region and international financial uncertainty stay a structural constraint, GCC countries have actually so far limited their influence on domestic economic performance through strong fiscal positions, policy connection, and sustained financial investment.