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GCC

Business news and financial news, analysis, opinion and statistics covering the six Gulf Corporation Council members Bahrain, Kuwait,  Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Donald Trump has made it clear he will not take kindly to any efforts 'to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar' as the default for international payments

Taking on the almighty dollar

There is much to discuss during President Trump’s visit to Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia next week. Oil and gas, investment into the US and tariffs, technology transfers and nuclear power, weapons sales and security guarantees, Yemen and Iran are all likely to feature. By way of welcome, Qatar has said that it will buy a fleet of […]

President Donald Trump has made improving ties with some countries in the Gulf region a main goal of his administration

US might ease chip export curbs on some Gulf nations

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will soon have an announcement on whether the US will ease microchip export restrictions to some Gulf countries. “We might be doing that, yeah,” Trump said. “And it will be announced soon.” Trump is preparing for his first major diplomatic trip next week that includes a three-country Middle […]

Abu Dhabi Investment Council bought a 90% stake in New York’s Chrysler Building (in background) in 2008, and still sees opportunity amid the volatility

Gulf funds weigh risk and reward in Trump’s new trade world order

Gulf sovereign wealth funds, including Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala and Saudi Arabia’s Neom Investment Fund, see both risk and opportunity in the heightened global trade tensions linked to US tariffs. “We know what an economic recession looks like – here we’re dealing with something slightly different,” said Oscar Fahlgren, chief investment officer at Mubadala’s alternative asset […]

Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim meets a Bahraini delegation. The country signed a Cepa with the UAE in January

Malaysia continues GCC trade talks that began in 2011

Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that talks on closing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf Cooperation Council are continuing, 14 years after they first began. The deal will deepen commercial partnerships and expand economic growth, Kuwait’s state-run Kuna news agency reported, quoting Ibrahim. The GCC and Malaysia agreed on a trade […]

UAE hotel revenue grew by a modest 3 percent to AED45 billion in 2024, suggesting hoteliers are absorbing increasing operational costs

UAE hotels absorb rising costs at expense of profit

Many UAE hoteliers are reluctant to raise prices to compensate for rising operational costs, even as intensifying global competition and geopolitical volatility tighten profit margins. According to data from CBRE Middle East, growth in UAE hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) has slowed over the last two years, from 6 percent in 2023 to 3 […]

TSMC is the largest contract chip maker in the world. Can Gulf states compete?

Gulf enters chip wars

Chip War by Chris Miller is an account of the most competitive, most brutal industry in the world – more competitive and brutal than the oil business, which is saying something. Miller reckons that US supremacy in the manufacture and design of semi-conductors was a major contributor to victory in the Cold War. More advanced chips […]

China is exporting ceramic tiles at cheap cost following tariffs imposed by the US

Oman’s tile law could set pattern for the GCC

Oman plans to implement anti-dumping measures on ceramic tile imports from China and India, saying the materials that are widely used in the building industry are being sold at below-cost prices. This comes amid a global debate around the impact of increased US import tariffs on China, the world’s biggest manufacturer, and whether the tax […]

UK prime minister Keir Starmer is greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to Riyadh in December. The UK government says UK-GCC trade talks are continuing 'at pace'

UK urged to seek standalone trade deals with Gulf states

Trade experts, including a former UK government senior advisor, are questioning why talks between the UK and GCC to secure a free trade agreement are taking so long. Many recommend that London pursue bilateral deals with Gulf countries if and when a wider GCC deal is signed. “[The negotiations] have been going on for yonks […]

President Donald Trump holds an 'Investing in America' event at the White House. The president will visit the Gulf from May 13-16, and artificial intelligence is expected to be at the top of the agenda

AI will be front and centre during Trump’s Gulf trip

Artificial intelligence is expected to be top of the agenda during US president Donald Trump’s visit to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in mid-May, with officials from all sides eager to announce fresh partnerships. Discussions are likely to focus on securing more GCC investments into US technology and expanding Gulf states’ access […]

Mena's AI research contribution lags global output, but region-wide strategic investment programmes aim to build local expertise

Focus on investment in AI as Mena lags in research

The Gulf and wider Middle East and North Africa region make a woefully small contribution to global artificial intelligence research and academics, but strategic investments could help mitigate some of the risk of dependency on others, industry experts say. The Mena region contributed just 5 percent of all AI-related academic publications and less than 10 […]

Eric Trump was in Dubai representing the Trump Organizaton to launch a new luxury tower in partnership with real estate developer Dar Global

Eric Trump: the Gulf is dependent on a strong America

The Gulf region is dependent on a strong United States and wants security so local economies can flourish, the US president’s son Eric Trump said in an interview with Reuters. In Dubai as an executive of the president’s family business, the Trump Organization – which launched a new tower in the city in partnership with […]

While lower oil prices may squeeze some Mena producers, Gulf nations are expected to maintain long-term investment plans

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 […]

Mature Male Stock Market Broker Looking At Multiple Computer Screen In Office

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 […]