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Optimising Operational ROI through Advanced Market Research
Will Market Analytics Drive Middle East Corporate Success?
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Inform technique with evidence: Usage independent information on market confidence, growth, and client need to guide your tactical instructions. Verify financial investment strategies: Guarantee resource allocation and efforts are backed by reputable market insight. Accelerate confident decisions: Gear up members of your executive team with clear, actionable insight to reach agreement rapidly and take definitive action.

1 GCC, "HE GCCSG: The FTA in between the GCC and the UK is a Major Strategic Chance to Raise Economic Relations to New Horizons," October 20252 GCC, "Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation In 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) Progress Update," April 20254 WAM, "UAE's CEPA programme strengthens global financial ties with 26 tactical contracts," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign complimentary trade pact 'really soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA prepares to a minimum of double annual US financial investments over next years," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest investor," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Fact Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards across Africa are going into a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Analysis is greater. Risk is more interconnected. And the quality of conference room judgment will progressively figure out which organisations sustain development and which fall back. In reaction, Climb Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level females, in collaboration with BusinessDay, is releasing a brand-new regular monthly boardroom dialogue convening accomplished African female executives who actively serve at the highest levels of governance and business management and who are members of Climb Club.
This inaugural session unites board practitioners to examine the genuine pressures shaping board programs today: INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM: The Strategic Risks and Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulative and governance expectations Innovation disturbance and cyber resilience Long-term value creation and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards should prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers consist of: Mediator 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 directly to governance, risk oversight, and tactical instructions within their organisations. Through this partnership, Climb Club and BusinessDay are intentionally producing a repeating forum that surface areas board-level insight, magnifies credible female governance voices, and expands access to the tactical thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the conversation. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the most recent insights, trends, and strategies delivered directly to your inbox. Join Everest Group's newsletter to remain at the forefront of what's next.
The GCC ETF market gotten in Q1 2026 in a debt consolidation stage, with activity remaining elevated however growth slowing. Total assets held broadly stable over the quarter, while trading levels indicated continued rearranging and as a reaction to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital deployment. Worldwide macro conditions set a challenging background.
The result was a quarter specified by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional trend. Oil related assets did well for the a lot of part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Absolute High-end ETF introduced on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have actually been authorized for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and are about to be approved by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe comprised 39 ETFs with an overall AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Performance throughout the market was broadly unfavorable, with just 13 ETFs providing positive returns compared to 26 in decline. Overall, the information reflects a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of items.
How to Scale GCC Strategy in 2026Efficiency in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of distinctive winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were focused in specific country direct exposures and products, especially Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were durable during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil direct exposure supported its local market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs amidst greater oil costs, along with its continued capability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which remains open.
Egypt provided 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 conflict and resulting energy shock have improved the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector likewise dealt with more comprehensive 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 likewise struggled for the most part, particularly those linked to carbon and high-growth innovation, as valuation pressures and global rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, showing selective allowance rather than broad market participation. Despite weak efficiency, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with only a small number of items drawing in new capital.

Trading activity remained steady, with average 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, focused in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. A lot of activity appears to have occurred in the secondary market, allowing investors to adjust positions without significant main productions or redemptions. While recent geopolitical events have led to more monetary pressure on GCC countries, the region stays resistant and well capitalized to deal with the situation.
In January, Boreas released its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, including a niche thematic exposure concentrated on international luxury and consumer 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 anticipated to launch in April pending a final approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development associating with ETFs in the GCC. We expect more worldwide and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC throughout 2026. While the dispute has actually affected sentiment and rates throughout the quarter, it has driven more volume and interest in regional possessions.
In spite of ongoing geopolitical tensions and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to demonstrate durability, maintaining favorable growth momentum recently. While disputes in the larger area and international economic uncertainty remain a structural restriction, GCC countries have so far limited their effect on domestic economic efficiency through strong fiscal positions, policy continuity, and sustained financial investment.
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