Emerging Future Trends Defining the 2026 GCC Market

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what suggestions they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu stated it was "crucial to build boundaries" between work and individual life and take short holidays to "detach" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, stated: "If you make the people you work with happy, you will make the consumer delighted, who will then make the investors pleased."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, stated the capability to "not worry" is the essential to finding a solution for issues.

This week, we're convening more than 3000 conferences in between investors and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined worth of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're combining investors, business, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is altering in the area, and what comes next, including the growth and ongoing advancement of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing role in global networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf area's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic demand and restored financial investment momentum, according to the most recent ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most worldwide areas peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Throughout the GCC, non-energy activity is forecasted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, enhancing credit conditions and increasing investment in technology and AI-related infrastructure.

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Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise once again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it specified. Saudi Arabia will remain a major contributor to GCC momentum, with GDP forecast to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Development will be supported by commercial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of eased foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate more investment. The financial deficit is forecasted to widen to 5.6% of GDP next year in the middle of softer oil prices, while the recent five-year lease freeze in Riyadh intends to alleviate inflationary pressures, though it may constrain future real estate supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is also placed for another strong year of performance, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourism, trade and financial services remain crucial development chauffeurs, supported by population growth and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, showing broad-based non-oil strength.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Oil production is expected to get again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing continuous financial investment in infrastructure, innovation and international trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, stated: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has can be found in building varied, resilient and globally competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are getting in 2026 with strong foundations. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring pace, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as financial pressures increase.""The UAE continues to benefit from solid domestic basics, a sharp uplift in government costs and continual diversity efforts.

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GCC countries are rotating towards a strategy of 'strength over expansion' going into 2026, as the region gets ready for a worldwide landscape defined by softer oil rates, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast shift to an AI-enabled economy. According to a brand-new regional outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening global trade combination, protecting industrial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology aspiration to functional implementation.

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Negotiations for Free Trade Arrangements with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered final drafting phases. The region is progressively positioning itself as a main hub for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, securing important minerals has actually become a tactical concern.