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

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Financial development throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is set to accelerate in 2026, with the region forecasted to outperform its 2025 performance despite soft oil incomes and continuous international uncertainties. According to a brand-new Oxford Economics research briefing, GCC GDP growth is anticipated to increase to 4.4 per cent in 2026, up from 4 per cent in 2025, reflecting a durable nonenergy sector, strong consumer characteristics, and slowly improving oil output.

However the most recent projections suggest that Gulf economies are now wellpositioned to restore momentum, buoyed by reinforcing domestic demand and a broadly consistent worldwide background. The report highlights GCC consumers as a major driver of the region's economic efficiency heading into next year. Low inflation, robust labour markets, and growing real non reusable earnings are anticipated to sustain a surge in customer costs throughout the Gulf.

Credit development is likewise anticipated to stay raised as access to monetary services expands. With GCC reserve banks anticipated to follow anticipated United States Federal Reserve rate cuts due to the area's dollar pegs, borrowing costs are most likely to decrease, offering homes and companies further incentive to spend and invest. While the nonoil sector continues to anchor the area's strength, the GCC's hydrocarbon outlook presents a blended image.

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This could weigh on firsthalf growth, particularly for economies more dependent on oil extraction. Oxford Economics predicts a rebound later in 2026, with Opec+ members anticipated to resume raising production as stocks tighten and international need enhances. Qatar, on the other hand, stands out as a regional outperformer, with substantial growths in gas production and exports anticipated to lift its general financial performance.

Saudi Arabia's 2026 spending plan expects a 6 percent cut in capital expenditure as the kingdom intends to narrow its fiscal deficit by two portion points. However, the report notes that these cuts may not materialise completely if countercyclical costs measures are activated to support growth. By contrast, more varied economies such as the UAE and Qatar are expected to continue advancing their advancement programs.

Despite shortterm risks tied to oil costs and international demand, the GCC's 2026 economic outlook is specified by strength in basics: durable customers, robust nonenergy sectors, improving oil characteristics, and strategic fiscal preparation. With these elements lining up, the area is getting ready for among its most well balanced durations of expansion in the last few years anchored by a clear upward trajectory in GDP development.

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RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council local economies are expected to remain resilient in 2026, driven by strong domestic demand and a broadly stable worldwide economy, according to an analysis. In its most current report, Oxford Economics highlighted that the genuine gross domestic product of the GCC region is expected to broaden by 4.4 percent in 2026, up from the forecasted 4 percent this year.

We expect GCC growth will increase to 4.4 percent in 2026, from 4 percent this year."In November, the GCC Statistical Center stated that financial development in the region is set to accelerate to 4.3 percent by 2027, driven by broadening non-oil sectors.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Non-oil activities represented 73.2 percent of total GDP, up from 70.6 percent at the end of 2024, highlighting the region's continued development towards diversification. According to Oxford Economics, GCC consumers will be standout performers in 2026 and are anticipated to surpass their international peers. Oxford Economics stated that low inflation has assisted secure growth in genuine non reusable income, which has actually likewise been supported by strong need and extremely low joblessness rates."We do not picture any let-up, as federal governments continue to promote greater foreign direct financial investment in their push to diversify their economies far from oil and gas," the report included.

In December, the IMF even more stated that headline inflation is anticipated to remain listed below 2 percent in Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar, near 2 percent in the Kingdom and the UAE, and a little above 2 percent in Kuwait in 20252026. According to Oxford Economics, credit growth is anticipated to remain elevated in the GCC area throughout 2026, as access to financial services is anticipated to grow and lending is predicted to be supported by additional cuts in rates of interest."Owing to their currency pegs to the United States dollar, GCC reserve banks are anticipated to follow the United States Federal Reserve by alleviating monetary policy even more, which in turn will lower financial obligation maintenance costs and increase disposable earnings and demand," stated the report.