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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

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 […]

Regional investors may favour investments such as utilities and telecom companies with domestic operations

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 […]

IMF director Kristalina Georgieva had 'a lot of praise to offer' to the GCC states

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 […]

Boeing's factory in Kansas. Chinese customers are declining aircraft deliveries due to the ongoing trade conflict with the US

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 […]

Amirah al-Turkistani, a graphic design lecturer at Jeddah International College, shops with her children and husband at a supermarket in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, February 3, 2018. REUTERS/Reem Baeshen SEARCH "BAESHEN WOMEN" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

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), […]

Shams Solar Power Station in the UAE. Both the UAE and Saudi Araba are aiming to increase electricity exports as their share of renewable energy grows

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, […]

GCC officials are expected to push for better access to advanced US semiconductors and AI tech during Donald Trump's visit to the Gulf

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. […]