Economy GCC economic data The latest economic indicators for the Gulf Co-operation Council countries: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain – plus links to in-depth pages on each country April 29, 2025
Economy Saudi Arabia economy The latest economic indicators and demographic trends for Saudi Arabia, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, expats, unemployment and more November 20, 2024
Economy United Arab Emirates economy The latest economic indicators and demographic trends for the United Arab Emirates, including the UAE's GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, expats, unemployment and more November 20, 2024
Economy Oman economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Oman, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more November 20, 2024
Economy Qatar economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Qatar, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more November 20, 2024
Analysis Oil & Gas Gulf oil investment ‘can weather price slump’ International oil prices may have fallen to their lowest in four years but that is unlikely to disrupt the exploration and production investment plans of Gulf national oil producers, energy analysts have said. But Middle East and North Africa producers outside the GCC may not be so lucky. Crude oil fell below $60 a barrel […] April 29, 2025
Analysis Markets Dollar slump impacts foreign Gulf stock investors The dollar’s descent to multi-year lows against other major currencies presents a dilemma for foreign investors in Gulf stocks. Regional currencies are pegged to the US currency, aside from the Kuwaiti dinar which tracks a basket of currencies that is heavily dollar weighted. So, a lower dollar makes buying Gulf stocks cheaper for investors from […] April 29, 2025
Opinion Markets Trumponomics, tariffs and the global flight from the US GCC and Asian economies are moving to de-risk from American dominance April 28, 2025
Analysis Markets Market volatility adds allure to utilities and telecoms In a month of wild market swings, Gulf equity investors have felt panic, trepidation, bewilderment and more. With further volatility probable, experts say a prudent strategy is to focus on defensive sectors less exposed to the global economy. Gulf bourses tumbled in early April, along with the US dollar and oil prices, after President Donald […] April 28, 2025
Economy IMF praises GCC economic diversification efforts Senior International Monetary Fund officials commended Gulf states this week for their efforts to expand sources of economic growth and fiscal revenue beyond oil. They also urged more intra-GCC trade, as global commerce is roiled by steep and volatile US tariffs. “I have a lot of praise to offer because they have been pursuing reforms […] April 25, 2025
Aviation China’s Boeing boycott opens doors for Gulf carriers China’s escalating trade standoff with the US is reverberating through the global aviation industry, offering opportunities for Gulf airlines, as Chinese carriers refuse to accept US-built Boeing aircraft. Speaking on a first quarter earnings call on Wednesday, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed that several Chinese customers have declined to accept new aircraft due to retaliatory […] April 25, 2025
Analysis Economy What a plunging dollar means to Gulf imports and inflation The dollar’s slump to multiyear lows against many major currencies risks raising import costs in the dollar-pegged Gulf economies, fuelling inflation and pressuring business profitability, analysts say. From mid-January, the dollar is down 11 percent against each of the euro (to its lowest in more than three years), the Japanese yen (its lowest since late 2023), […] April 24, 2025
Opinion Aviation Opportunity knocks for Middle East airlines during tariff turmoil American and Chinese uncertainty could open earlier aircraft delivery slots elsewhere April 24, 2025
Analysis Energy UAE and Saudi Arabia target India and EU electricity exports Saudi Arabia and the UAE are advancing plans to increase their electricity exports, taking advantage of spare generating capacity after surging investment in solar and wind power and seasonal fluctuation in demand. “The UAE, with around 50 percent spare capacity generation, is among the best-positioned countries to become an exporter of electricity,” Adnan Al Hosani, […] April 23, 2025
Trade Donald Trump will visit Gulf nations in May US President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, the White House has confirmed. The highly anticipated visit to the Gulf region will mark Trump’s second foreign trip of his second term, as he will first travel to Rome this week for Pope Francis’ funeral. […] April 23, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Despite Trump, China still has a big thirst for Gulf oil Gulf suppliers are taking immediate advantage of Washington’s hardline trade posture April 22, 2025
Utilities Foreign companies cash in as Gulf turns to smart power grids Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the Gulf states investing billions to make their electricity grids “smart” using artificial intelligence – and increase their share of generation from solar and wind power. That share is expected to almost double in the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years. It will rise […] April 22, 2025
Markets Gulf issuers plan debt sales, undeterred by market turmoil Gulf issuers, including Saudi Arabia’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, are working on a round of bond offerings, according to sources, braving debt markets despite recent turmoil ignited by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Markets have been volatile since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on April 2, even after he rolled most of them back, as investors struggle to […] April 22, 2025
Tax Trump tariffs threaten $22bn in Arab exports says UN Bahrain and Jordan are the countries likely to be most affected by tariffs planned by President Donald Trump on non-oil exports by the Arab world to the US worth nearly $22 billion, a United Nations body has warned. Despite a sharp fall in the region’s sales of oil to the US over the past decade, […] April 21, 2025
Markets Population burst bolsters Dubai’s listed companies Listed companies in Dubai were on average the most profitable last year among the Gulf exchanges as the emirate’s banking, real estate and telecom sectors benefited from its expanding population. Net profit at Dubai’s listed companies totalled $25.4 billion, up 16 percent compared with the year before, according to a report by Kuwaiti asset manager […] April 21, 2025
Markets Value of GCC bonds down in first quarter The value of bonds issued by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) slumped by 7 percent in the first quarter of 2025 following a steep fall in Saudi Arabia, according to a Kuwaiti think-tank. The total value of bonds and Islamic sukuk issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman was $51.5 […] April 21, 2025
Opinion Trade Gulf logistics reform must be prioritised The GCC could become a leader in cooperation and connectivity through better-harmonised regulations April 18, 2025
Opinion Agriculture The Gulf must rethink food security in the wake of Trump’s tariffs The growing US-China trade war may have significant repercussions for the Middle East April 18, 2025
Banking & Finance GCC banks unlikely to escape US tariff impact US President Donald Trump’s imposition of additional import tariffs will trouble GCC banks, despite the bloc’s meagre non-oil exports to the United States, according to analysts. Trump’s tariff strategy, targeted principally at China but worldwide in scope, has roiled global equity markets, sent the dollar tumbling and exacerbated oil price declines. As such, “the indirect […] April 18, 2025
Opinion Banking & Finance Service without a smile: Why regional banks must step up Service standards remain poor - this needs to change April 17, 2025
