All Categories
Featured
Table of Contents
Inform method with evidence: Use independent data on market self-confidence, growth, and customer need to guide your tactical direction. Validate financial investment strategies: Ensure resource allowance and initiatives are backed by reliable market insight. Speed up positive choices: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach arrangement quickly and take decisive action.

Capital is tighter. And the quality of boardroom judgment will significantly identify which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In response, Ascent Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and opportunities for board- and C-level ladies, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is releasing a new regular monthly boardroom dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and corporate leadership and who are members of Ascent Club.
This inaugural session unites board specialists to analyze the real pressures forming board agendas today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Top Priorities Forming 2026 Financial discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulative and governance expectations Innovation disturbance and cyber resilience Long-term worth creation and sustainability imperatives Management choices boards need to prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers include: Moderator 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, risk oversight, and strategic instructions within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are intentionally creating a recurring forum that surfaces board-level insight, enhances reputable female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
Get the most recent insights, trends, and strategies provided straight to your inbox. Sign up with Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the leading edge of what's next.
Overall assets held broadly consistent over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a response to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital deployment. International macro conditions set a difficult background.
The outcome was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, instead of a clear directional pattern. Oil associated properties did well for the many part. On the positive side, in January, the Boreas Outright Luxury ETF launched on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have 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 consisted of 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the market was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs providing favorable returns compared to 26 in decline. Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, rather than broad market strength.
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 conflict and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also dealt with wider macro headwinds, consisting of a more cautious policy background in China and international risk-off belief driven by geopolitical tensions and higher energy prices. Thematic ETFs also had a hard time for the many part, especially those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as appraisal pressures and worldwide rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF considerably outperformed. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, 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 bring in brand-new capital. This shows that financiers were targeting specific direct exposures, while lowering or rotating out of others.
Trading activity stayed steady, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have taken location in the secondary market, making it possible for investors to adjust positions without considerable primary creations or redemptions.
In January, Boreas launched its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic exposure focused on global high-end and customer brand names. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 showed some development connecting to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the dispute has actually affected belief and rates throughout the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional properties.
Bridging Policy and Business Excellence Across the Middle EastIn spite of ongoing geopolitical tensions and security threats throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued to show durability, keeping favorable development momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the wider region and international economic unpredictability stay a structural restraint, GCC countries have up until now limited their influence on domestic economic performance through strong fiscal positions, policy connection, and sustained 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