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The Middle East Economic Research Highlights

Video: New economic zones central to Kuwait’s growth strategy

Kuwait is developing three new economic zones to boost investment and support trade through strategic industrial clusters. The Al Abdali, Al Wafra and Al Naayem economic zones aim to attract impact...

How district cooling can contribute to energy and cost efficiency in the GCC and beyond

Suliman Al Khliwi, Managing Director, Saudi Tabreed

In this Global Platform video, Suliman Al Khliwi, Managing Director, Saudi Tabreed, discusses how district cooling can offer numerous advantages over conventional cooling in the GCC...

Focus Report: Trade and investment opportunities in Oman's special economic and free trade zones

Recent disruptions to global supply chains and recognition from policymakers about the urgent need to diversify the economy are combining to stimulate industrial development in Oman...

Economic Analysis 2022-23 across the GCC
Market Profile Video

Saudi Arabia’s economy is positioned for growth in the coming years

Oxford Business Group has launched The Report: Saudi Arabia 2022. This Market Profile video highlights how the Kingdom’s diversified approach to economic development is helping to position it as one of the...
Market Profile Video

Highlights from The Report: Qatar 2022

Oxford Business Group has now launched The Report: Qatar 2022. This 16th edition of our national macroeconomic analysis shines a spotlight on Qatar’s efforts to leverage its abundant natural gas...
Viewpoint

HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar: Viewpoint
OBG
plus

On the importance of international cooperation
Market Profile Video

Highlights from The Report: Bahrain 2022

Elevated oil prices are helping Bahrain rebound from the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and driving an economic expansion that is expected to continue through 2022 and into the coming years...
Overview

What factors are setting the stage for economic growth in Bahrain
OBG
plus

For much of its history, Bahrain was the name for the eastern coast of Arabia. The name Bahrain means “two seas” in Arabic, and this has come to identify the largest of the 33 natural islands of the archipelago...
Analysis

Saudi Arabia pushing investment in oil and gas to meet global demand
OBG
plus

Saudi Aramco is planning to boost its maximum crude oil production capacity to over 13m barrels per day (bpd) by 2027, up from 12m bpd as of August 2022. This is set to bolster Saudi Arabia’s position in global...
Overview

Saudi Arabia’s reform and energy initiatives attract investment
OBG
plus

As the world’s largest oil producer and the only Arab country in the G20, Saudi Arabia is a key geopolitical player on the global stage. Officially established in September 1932 the Kingdom has begun to pour...

Saudi Arabia’s economy is positioned for growth in the coming years
Highlights from The Report: Qatar 2022
HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar: Viewpoint
Highlights from The Report: Bahrain 2022
What factors are setting the stage for economic growth in Bahrain
Saudi Arabia pushing investment in oil and gas to meet global demand
Saudi Arabia’s reform and energy initiatives attract investment
 

Kuwait’s strategy to enable private sector-led growth and diversification

Guided by the New Kuwait 2035 vision, Kuwait is undergoing social and economic reforms designed to achieve a diversified private sector-led economy and a more sustainable future...

Gulf: Economic Research & Views
Economic Update

Gulf countries explore e-sports as part of diversification plans

As Gulf countries implement plans to diversify their economies and create jobs, they are increasingly investing in the growing industry around competitive video games known as electronic sports (e-sports)...
Economic Update

How agri-tech start-ups are driving investment in emerging markets

Even as global funding levels drop, agri-tech start-ups remain a key driver of investment in emerging markets as they work to make farming greener, more productive and more climate resilient...
Economic Update

Emerging economies aim to maximise resources with a four-day work week

With the Covid-19 pandemic having changed how people learn, shop and do business, many markets and companies are experimenting with new ways to unlock potential productivity while improving...
Economic Update

The GCC’s latest efforts to bolster cybersecurity

With global geopolitical instability elevating the threat of cyberattacks against businesses and government agencies, the six countries of the GCC are rapidly building more robust and comprehensive...
Economic Update

Shifting oil market creates export opportunities for emerging markets producers

With EU bans on Russian oil and oil-product exports set to go into effect this year in response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, emerging market producers are poised to gain larger shares of an evolving...
Economic View

Safa Sharif Khaleq, CEO, Export Bahrain

On boosting local added value and building a global brand through enhanced export capacities
Economic Update

Can MENA capture a share of the green steel market?

As the global industrial sector seeks to shrink its carbon footprint, a number of MENA countries are investing in green steel production to capture market share and help meet emissions targets...
Economic View

Ali H. Khalil, CEO, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz)

On attracting foreign direct investment to the country
Economic View

Yendry Ventura, CEO, Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC)

On how investment can democratise access to advances in medical technology
Economic Update

Middle East: Year in Review 2022

In a year of global economic uncertainty fuelled by inflation, geopolitical crises and supply chain insecurity, the Middle East witnessed a second consecutive year of economic growth, with countries in the region investing in new technologies and projects that could herald greater integration in the years ahead.

Gulf countries explore e-sports as part of diversification plans
How agri-tech start-ups are driving investment in emerging markets
Emerging economies aim to maximise resources with a four-day work week
The GCC’s latest efforts to bolster cybersecurity
Shifting oil market creates export opportunities for emerging markets producers
Safa Sharif Khaleq, CEO, Export Bahrain
Can MENA capture a share of the green steel market?
Ali H. Khalil, CEO, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz)
Yendry Ventura, CEO, Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC)
Middle East: Year in Review 2022
 

GCC ESG Research & Views

Economic Update

How emerging markets are navigating the rising cost of solar power

With high energy prices and supply chain disruptions creating shortages of key renewable energy components and materials, emerging markets are reassessing how to build out utility-scale solar power to accelerate their energy transitions. After more than a decade of decline, the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels has risen around the world, due primarily to the increasing cost of solar-grade polysilicon in China. A key component in PV panels, polysilicon spot market prices rose from less than $7 per kg in July 2020 to $39 in...

Economic Update

How the new High Seas Treaty affects ocean conservation in emerging markets

As the international community reaches a landmark agreement to protect ocean resources, emerging markets are looking to balance conservation and the exploitation of marine resources. In the first week of March 2023 UN delegates in New York finalised the text of an international treaty outlining the sustainable use of marine resources beyond national jurisdiction. Popularly known as the UN High Seas Treaty, the document is the result of two decades of talks and represents the first international treaty on ocean protection...

Economic Update

Urban areas experiment with cooling technologies to combat climate change

With temperatures in cities set to rise in the coming decades, many public and private players in emerging markets are looking to tackle the challenge of extreme heat through technology, sustainable building techniques and the expansion of urban green spaces. Cities cover just 3% of the Earth’s surface but currently house over half of the world’s population – a figure set to reach 70% by 2050. Urban population growth is predicted to be highest in emerging markets, with 90% of the shift to cities occurring in Asia and...

Economic Update

Can grid expansion keep pace with the coming surge in solar power generation?

As the capacity to generate wind and solar power continues to expand around the world, hopes of accelerating the phase-out of coal as the leading source of electricity may depend on the expansion of a less discussed but equally important part of the energy supply chain: electricity grids. Countries around the world are working to shift to more sustainable sources of power and facing challenges related to the expansion of their electricity grids. Last month Western Australia’s economic regulator ruled that Western Power...

Economic Update

Which markets are pioneering lower-carbon desalination technologies?

Long seen as a high-cost, energy-intensive process, desalination mega-projects are seeking to tap renewable resources to limit the cost and environmental concerns of this crucial technology. In June 2022 ENOWA, the energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM mega-project, signed a memorandum of understanding with French energy company Veolia and Japanese trading company Itochu to develop a reverse osmosis (RO) water desalination facility powered by 100% renewable energy...

Economic Update

Can sustainable agriculture address global food security?

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions and broader environmental concerns, many countries are looking to improve the efficiency of agriculture while also reducing its carbon footprint. The drive for sustainable agriculture has gained impetus in recent months, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which curtailed exports of maize, wheat and cooking oil from two of the world’s key producers – raising broader concerns about global food security. Supply constraints are being exacerbated by climate concerns...

Economic Update

How the UAE and Saudi Arabia are expanding the representation of women in the workplace

More female employees are joining workplaces and boardrooms in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with gender equality a key target of a regional drive to improve environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. While measurable progress has been achieved in recent years, there is room for further improvement in order to consolidate these changes into a lasting and broad-based transformation...

Economic View

Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa

On how ESG practices in the UAE are affecting the logistics sector

The Report: Kuwait 2022

The economy of Kuwait has long been underpinned by the production and export of crude oil. Although the rise in energy prices in 2021-22 boosted government revenue and macroeconomic stability...

ESG Intelligence Reports - Middle East
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: How can Saudi Arabia finance sustainable industrial development?

Guided by the Vision 2030 strategy for diversification, rapid advancements are being made in Saudi industry, mining, logistics and renewable energy. As the Kingdom works towards reaching net-zero...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: How Qatar is confronting environmental and social challenges

With the publication of its National Environment and Climate Change Strategy in 2021, Qatar has recognised that a proactive and holistic approach is needed to meet the challenge of global warming and...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: The road to a zero-emission automotive industry in the Middle East and Africa

Automotive stakeholders are increasingly aware that the business-as-usual scenario that has sustained the industry for more than 100 years is no longer tenable. Regulatory changes and emissions-reduction...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: What factors are driving social development in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 includes social development initiatives to empower micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and citizens, promote entrepreneurship and widen access to financing...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: How can sustainable finance support the transformation of hydrocarbons-dependent economies?

With the world economy heading into a complex post-pandemic recovery, GCC governments have outlined a wide-ranging set of environmental targets – and shone a stronger spotlight on sustainability...
ESG Intelligence Report

Report: Can heavy industry support Saudi Arabia’s sustainability ambitions?

COP26 has focused the world’s attention on the need for a more sustainable economic model that ensures profits and growth are not achieved at the expense of ecological health and social well-being...

Report: How can Saudi Arabia finance sustainable industrial development?
Report: How Qatar is confronting environmental and social challenges
Report: The road to a zero-emission automotive industry in the Middle East and Africa
Report: What factors are driving social development in Saudi Arabia?
Report: How can sustainable finance support the transformation of hydrocarbons-dependent economies?
Report: Can heavy industry support Saudi Arabia’s sustainability ambitions?
 

Report: The future of sustainable finance in Kuwait’s banking sector

The regulatory landscape for Gulf financial service providers is changing, with growing awareness of the need for banking institutions to adopt sustainable finance frameworks and responsible lending and...

Report: Will e-learning transform tertiary education in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia’s tertiary education system is underpinned by a strong network of 28 public universities accounting for 81% of student enrolment. However, the ongoing process of economic diversification...

Education: Shaping the Future of the Middle East

Economic Update

How has the pandemic changed university course offerings in the Gulf?

With the current semester winding up, many higher education institutions in the Gulf are already planning an expanded offering of courses for the next academic year – with a focus on supporting the needs of the region’s post-pandemic economy. As OBG detailed earlier this year, the economic fallout of Covid-19 has encouraged higher education institutions in the Gulf to adapt their course offerings to help drive their respective countries’ economic recoveries. The coronavirus pandemic both highlighted and heightened the importance...

Covid-19 Response Report

Report: Will digitalisation in UAE higher education spur longer-term economic growth?

The UAE’s robust current account balance cushioned the economy against the twin global challenges of Covid-19 and the oil price drop in 2020. Lockdowns were implemented to protect public health, and Emiratis migrated online. UAE residents were ranked as the best ICT users globally in an October 2020 study from the Portulans Institute, due in part to a number-one ranking for school internet access, underlining the agility of UAE education stakeholders. Continued innovation within the UAE’s education segment will be...

Interview

Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education: Interview

On boosting innovation and entrepreneurship

Economic Update

Can higher education institutions shape the Gulf’s post-Covid-19 economy?

As Gulf countries look to rebound from the disruption of 2020, higher education institutions are playing a key role in meeting the needs of the region’s post-coronavirus economy. Universities, schools and technical colleges were among the first institutions to innovate following the outbreak of the virus. While many were initially obliged to close, educational institutions quickly adapted to the new situation by making learning materials available online, thus enabling students to continue their studies remotely...

Covid-19 Response Report

Report: How has the UAE responded to Covid-19, and what does it mean for higher education?

The UAE’s efforts to develop an advanced higher education sector, coupled with its robust fiscal position, meant it entered the pandemic from a position of relative strength. This report focuses on the response of policymakers to the challenges presented by Covid-19, and looks in detail at how the higher education sector adapted to the new reality...

Economic Update

How are universities driving the transition towards net zero in emerging markets?

Higher education institutions have a leading role to play in helping emerging economies adapt to the effects of climate change, as well as to meet their net-zero goals. This role can be roughly divided into two key areas: implementing best practices and leading on research. At the end of October, as part of the Times Higher Education Climate Impact Forum, 1050 universities from 68 countries made a series of commitments to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Over the course of the preceding year, many of these institutions...

Latest Covid-19 Reports - Gulf
Covid-19 Response Report

Report: Can agri-tech offer sustainable solutions to GCC food security challenges?

Food production in the GCC has long faced obstacles ranging from water scarcity to a lack of arable soil – factors that are being exacerbated by climate change. Prior to Covid-19, imports accounted for 85% of the...
Covid-19 Recovery Roadmap

Report: What is the post-Covid-19 outlook for GCC chemicals and petrochemicals?

The GCC chemicals and petrochemicals industry demonstrated considerable resilience in the face of Covid-19 and oil price fluctuations. With economic diversification a leading concern for GCC...
Future Readiness Report

Report: Is the Gulf shipping and logistics sector future-ready?

In the wake of a period of severe disruption to global trade, Gulf shipping and logistics companies are adapting to government efforts to boost self-sufficiency in the region, while also investing in...
Covid-19 Response Report

Report: Was Oman's banking sector resilient enough to support economic stability during the pandemic?

Oman’s economy was heavily reliant on hydrocarbons when the pandemic began, creating fiscal pressures as demand and prices fell. However, the country was able to rely on a well-capitalised and regulated financial...
Post-Pandemic Prospects Report

Report: How is the Covid-19 pandemic re-shaping the global oilfield services sector?

The global oil industry had yet to recover from the price crash of 2014-15 by the time the pandemic hit in early 2020, which meant that upstream operators and service providers were already grappling with...
Covid-19 Response Report

Report: How is the pandemic shaping the future of Abu Dhabi’s health care sector?

Sustained investment and foresighted policy initiatives meant that the UAE and Abu Dhabi had developed a modern and effective public health system prior to the pandemic, supported by a growing number of...
Business Journey Report

Report: What are the post-pandemic prospects for Qatar’s start-ups and SMEs?

Sharjah entered the pandemic period in a resilient position thanks to a highly diversified and digitalised economy supported by strong fundamentals at the national level. With the emirate benefitting from...
Covid-19 Recovery Roadmap

Report: How can Bahrain stand out as a post-pandemic investment destination?

Bahrain entered the pandemic with the most diversified economy in the GCC, which meant it was not overly susceptible to the sharp drop in the oil market. The country also benefits from some...
Covid-19 Response Report

Report: What are the post-pandemic prospects for Sharjah's economy?

With the emirate benefitting from one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, it is well positioned to enjoy a robust economic recovery supported by investment flows into high-potential segments such as ICT...
Covid-19 Recovery Roadmap

Report: How can Dubai’s economy bounce back from Covid-19?

Dubai’s diversified and digitalised economy was able to absorb the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic relatively well. The emirate enjoys some of the fastest internet speeds and most advanced...

Report: Can agri-tech offer sustainable solutions to GCC food security challenges?
Report: What is the post-Covid-19 outlook for GCC chemicals and petrochemicals?
Report: Is the Gulf shipping and logistics sector future-ready?
Report: Was Oman's banking sector resilient enough to support economic stability during the pandemic?
Report: How is the Covid-19 pandemic re-shaping the global oilfield services sector?
Report: How is the pandemic shaping the future of Abu Dhabi’s health care sector?
Report: What are the post-pandemic prospects for Qatar’s start-ups and SMEs?
Report: How can Bahrain stand out as a post-pandemic investment destination?
Report: What are the post-pandemic prospects for Sharjah's economy?
Report: How can Dubai’s economy bounce back from Covid-19?
 
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