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Inform strategy with evidence: Usage independent data on market self-confidence, development, and client demand to guide your tactical direction. Validate 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 contract quickly and take decisive 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 reinforces worldwide economic ties with 26 tactical contracts," March 20255 Muscat Daily, "Oman, India set to sign open market pact 'soon'," September 20256 India Embassy Qatar, "India-Qatar Bilateral Relations," June 20257 Reuters, "Qatar's QIA plans to a minimum of double annual United States investments over next decade," May 2025; WAM, "US$ 110 billion in UAE financial investments in Africa position country as world's fourth-largest financier," October 2025; Whitehouse, "Reality Sheet: President Donald J.
Boards throughout Africa are going into a specifying cycle. Capital is tighter. Examination is greater. Threat is more interconnected. And the quality of boardroom judgment will significantly determine which organisations sustain development and which fall behind. In reaction, Climb Club, an exposure launchpad curating access and chances for board- and C-level females, in cooperation with BusinessDay, is releasing a brand-new 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 Climb Club.
This inaugural session brings together board professionals to analyze the genuine pressures forming board agendas today: INSIDE THE BOARDROOM: The Strategic Risks and Priorities Shaping 2026 Monetary discipline in constrained markets Progressing regulative and governance expectations Innovation disturbance and cyber resilience Long-lasting value development and sustainability imperatives Leadership choices boards should prioritise heading into 2026 Climb members and speakers consist of: Moderator Nnoli Akpedeye MD/CEO, Contego Servo Limited Speakers Sarah Ajose-Adeogun Managing Partner, Teasoo Consulting Ochanya R.
Deborah David CFO, Powergas It is an assembling of executives contributing straight to governance, threat oversight, and strategic direction within their organisations. Through this collaboration, Climb Club and BusinessDay are intentionally producing a repeating online forum that surface areas board-level insight, amplifies trustworthy female governance voices, and broadens access to the strategic thinking emerging from Africa's conference rooms.
4 March 2026 6:00 PM WAT Zoom Register to sign up with the discussion. #InsideTheBoardroom #ExecutiveLeadership Registration Link: . Get the newest insights, trends, and methods provided directly to your inbox. Join Everest Group's newsletter to stay at the leading edge of what's next.
The GCC ETF market gone into Q1 2026 in a debt consolidation phase, with activity remaining elevated but growth slowing down. Overall properties held broadly steady over the quarter, while trading levels indicated continued repositioning and as a response to geopolitical news rather than a meaningful brand-new capital deployment. International macro conditions set a challenging backdrop.
The result was a quarter defined by volatility, dispersion, and selective positioning, rather than a clear directional pattern. Oil related possessions succeeded for the most part. On the favorable side, in January, the Boreas Outright Luxury ETF released on ADX to add more thematic ETFs. In Q1, 2 more Kraneshares have been approved for launch by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and will be authorized by the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The GCC ETF universe consisted of 39 ETFs with a total AUM of $9.35 billion (since Q1 2026). Performance throughout the market was broadly negative, with only 13 ETFs delivering positive returns compared to 26 in decrease. In general, the data shows a market that is active however narrow, with capital and liquidity concentrated in a small subset of products.
Performance in Q1 2026 was driven by a narrow group of idiosyncratic winners, instead of broad market strength. The leading ETFs were concentrated in specific country exposures and products, particularly Turkey, Saudi petrochemicals, gold, and Egypt. Nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt were resilient during the quarter. Saudi Arabia's oil exposure supported its regional market, with Aramco reaching brand-new highs in the middle of greater oil costs, along with its continued ability to export oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which stays open.
Egypt delivered strong efficiency in January and February. In spite of a market pullback in March due to the war, both Egypt's market and its ETFs still published favorable returns for the quarter. The continuous Middle East dispute and resulting energy shock have reshaped the outlook for emerging market equities between the oil-haves and the oil-have-nots.
The sector also faced broader macro headwinds, consisting of a more mindful policy background in China and global risk-off belief driven by geopolitical stress and higher energy costs. Thematic ETFs likewise had a hard time for the a lot of part, particularly those connected to carbon and high-growth innovation, as assessment pressures and global rate dynamics weighed on efficiency.
The petrochemical ETF significantly surpassed. Circulations in Q1 2026 were modest and extremely concentrated, showing selective allotment rather than broad market participation. Regardless of weak efficiency, ETFs tape-recorded $27.1 million in net inflows, with just a small number of items bring in new capital. This indicates that investors were targeting specific exposures, while decreasing or turning out of others.
Trading activity stayed constant, with typical 30-day volumes around 33,000 shares, concentrated in a handful of larger and more liquid ETFs. Many activity appears to have actually taken location in the secondary market, making it possible for financiers to change positions without significant primary developments or redemptions. While recent geopolitical events have led to more monetary pressure on GCC countries, the area remains resistant and well capitalized to deal with the circumstance.
In January, Boreas introduced its S&P Global Luxury UCITS ETF, including a niche thematic exposure focused on worldwide high-end 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 last approval from ADX.
Q1 2026 revealed some development relating to ETFs in the GCC. We expect more international and thematic ETFs to list in the GCC during 2026. While the dispute has actually affected sentiment and rates during the quarter, it has actually driven more volume and interest in regional possessions.
Regardless of ongoing geopolitical stress and security threats across the Middle East, the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have actually continued to demonstrate strength, keeping positive growth momentum in the last few years. While conflicts in the wider region and global economic uncertainty remain a structural restriction, GCC nations have actually up until now restricted their effect on domestic financial performance through strong financial positions, policy continuity, and sustained financial investment.
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