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El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what recommendations they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "essential to develop borders" between work and individual life and take brief holidays to "detach" from the office.
Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the client happy, who will then make the shareholders happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the crucial to finding a solution for problems.
Today, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed companies with a combined worth 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 altering in the region, and what comes next, including the expansion and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the region's growing function in worldwide 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 performance, resistant domestic need and restored financial investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is anticipated to outshine most global areas peers next year, with local GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and rising investment in innovation and AI-related infrastructure.

Oil revenues will be under pressure in the first half of 2026, production is expected to increase again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will stay a major factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.
Development will be supported by industrial growth and policy reforms, including alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that intend to stimulate additional investment. The financial deficit is predicted to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil prices, while the current five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to reduce inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future housing supply.
Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP forecast to increase 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and monetary services remain key growth chauffeurs, supported by population development and continual domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the very first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

Oil production is expected to choose up once again in the second half of 2026, complementing continuous investment in facilities, technology and worldwide trade collaborations. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has actually come in building diverse, resilient and worldwide competitive economies.
Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Financial Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is gaining rate, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from strong domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversification efforts.
GCC countries are pivoting towards a technique of 'resilience over growth' entering 2026, as the region prepares for a global landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the rapid transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening international trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and performing a decisive shift from technology ambition to functional implementation.
Settlements totally free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have gotten in last preparing stages. The area is increasingly placing itself as a central center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic production, securing important minerals has ended up being a tactical concern.
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