All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
Notify technique with proof: Use independent information on market self-confidence, development, and client need to assist your tactical instructions. Verify financial investment plans: Ensure resource allotment and efforts are backed by credible market insight. Accelerate positive choices: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach arrangement quickly and take definitive action.

1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Major Strategic Opportunity to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation Between the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Might 2025 3 IMEC, "India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Development Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA program reinforces international economic ties with 26 tactical arrangements," 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 at least double yearly United States financial investments over next years," Might 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest investor," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Truth Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are getting in a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Examination is higher. Danger is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will significantly identify which organisations sustain growth and which fall back. In response, Climb Club, a visibility launchpad curating gain access to and chances for board- and C-level women, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is releasing a brand-new regular monthly conference room discussion assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the greatest levels of governance and business leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session combines board professionals to take a look at the real pressures forming board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulative and governance expectations Technology interruption and cyber strength Long-term worth production and sustainability imperatives Management decisions boards must prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers consist of: Mediator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Handling Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.

Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing directly to governance, threat oversight, and strategic instructions within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Climb Club and BusinessDay are deliberately producing a recurring forum that surface areas board-level insight, magnifies credible female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
Get the newest insights, patterns, and methods provided directly to your inbox. Sign up with Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the forefront of what's next.
The GCC ETF market entered Q1 2026 in a debt consolidation stage, with activity remaining raised but development slowing down. Overall properties held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels indicated continued rearranging and as a response to geopolitical news instead of a meaningful new capital release. Worldwide macro conditions set a difficult background.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional trend. Oil related assets did well for the many part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright High-end ETF launched on ADX to include more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have actually been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and will be authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Market (ADX). The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the marketplace was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs providing positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the information reflects a market that is active but narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of products.
Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in particular nation exposures and products, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resistant throughout the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs amid greater oil prices, along with its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.
Egypt delivered strong performance in January and February. Regardless of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published positive returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise dealt with broader macro headwinds, including a more careful policy backdrop in China and international risk-off sentiment driven by geopolitical stress and higher energy rates. Thematic ETFs likewise had a hard time for the most part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as evaluation pressures and global rate characteristics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF considerably outshined. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, reflecting selective allowance rather than broad market participation. Regardless of weak performance, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of products bring in new capital. This shows that investors were targeting specific direct exposures, while minimizing or turning out of others.

Trading activity stayed consistent, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of bigger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have occurred in the secondary market, allowing financiers to change positions without substantial primary productions or redemptions. While current geopolitical events have resulted in more financial pressure on GCC countries, the area remains resistant and well capitalized to deal with the scenario.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, including a niche thematic direct exposure focused on global high-end and customer brands. 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 release in April pending a last approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress relating to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the conflict has affected belief and rates throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in local possessions.
Regardless of ongoing geopolitical stress and security dangers across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show durability, keeping favorable development momentum in current years. While conflicts in the larger region and global economic uncertainty remain a structural constraint, GCC nations have actually so far limited their effect on domestic economic efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy connection, and continual investment.
Latest Posts
Unlocking Operational Excellence in the Industrial Sector

How to Utilize Market Research for 2026 Growth

Expanding Corporate Operations Within Dubai and the GCC