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Inform method with evidence: Use independent information on market self-confidence, development, and customer need to assist your strategic instructions. Verify investment plans: Ensure resource allocation and initiatives are backed by credible market insight. Accelerate confident choices: Gear up members of your executive group with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement quickly and take definitive action.
1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Major Strategic Chance to Elevate Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Declaration 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 programme enhances international economic ties with 26 strategic arrangements," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'very soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA prepares to at least double annual US financial investments over next decade," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE investments in Africa position nation as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Reality Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are going into a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is higher. Threat is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will significantly determine which organisations sustain development and which fall back. In action, Climb Club, a presence launchpad curating gain access to and chances for board- and C-level females, in partnership with BusinessDay, is launching a brand-new regular monthly conference room discussion assembling accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business leadership and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session combines board practitioners to take a look at the real pressures shaping board programs today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Dangers and Concerns Forming 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Evolving regulative and governance expectations Innovation interruption and cyber resilience Long-lasting 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 Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is a convening of executives contributing straight to governance, risk oversight, and strategic direction within their organisations. Through this partnership, Ascent Club and BusinessDay are intentionally creating a repeating forum that surfaces board-level insight, magnifies reliable female governance voices, and broadens access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's boardrooms.
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Overall assets held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels pointed to continued repositioning and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital release. Worldwide macro conditions set a challenging backdrop.
The GCC ETF universe made up 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (as of Q1 2026). Efficiency throughout the marketplace was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs providing positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. Overall, the data shows a market that is active but narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a little subset of items.
Optimizing Your Footprint in Saudi Arabia's High-Growth HubsEfficiency 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 direct exposures and commodities, especially Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient throughout the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil 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 remains open.
Egypt delivered strong efficiency 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 ongoing Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities in between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise dealt with wider macro headwinds, including a more mindful policy backdrop in China and worldwide risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and greater energy prices. Thematic ETFs also struggled for the many part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth innovation, as assessment pressures and global rate characteristics weighed on performance.
The petrochemical ETF significantly exceeded. Flows in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, reflecting selective allocation rather than broad market involvement. In spite of weak efficiency, ETFs recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of products bring in new capital. This suggests that investors were targeting specific exposures, while reducing or rotating out of others.
Trading activity stayed consistent, 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 place in the secondary market, allowing financiers to change positions without substantial primary productions or redemptions.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global High-end UCITS ETF, adding a niche thematic direct exposure focused on global high-end and consumer brands. ETFs by the CMA for cross-listing on ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some progress relating to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more global and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has impacted belief and prices throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional assets.
Despite continuous geopolitical tensions and security risks throughout the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to show resilience, keeping positive development momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the wider region and international financial uncertainty stay a structural constraint, GCC countries have up until now limited their influence on domestic financial efficiency through strong financial positions, policy connection, and sustained financial investment.
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