The COVID-19 pandemic and the decline in global oil demand and prices dealt the GCC countries a health crisis and a commodity market shock. The GCC's aggregate GDP contracted by 4.8 percent in 2020 from 2019, with the growth outturns ranging from -3.7 in Qatar to an estimated -6.3 percent in...

This second edition of the twice-yearly Gulf Economic Monitor describes recent economic developments, near-term prospects, and broader reform priorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (The Pulse of the Region). Regional aggregate GDP growth in 2017 weakened to just 0.5 percent,...

The near-tripling of oil prices from their trough in January 2016, to nearly 80 US dollars per barrel in early October 2018, has spurred a recovery in the GCC economies, following three years of persistent weakness. Additional support has come from rising oil production, and a slower pace of...

The economies of the GCC recovered in 2018 despite signs of weakness in the global economic outlook, reinforcing the perception that GCC economies' fortunes are still inextricably tied to oil. Global growth slowed in 2018, as trade tensions be-tween the U.S. and China escalated, and goods trade...

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were characterized by a robust economic rebound from the pandemic in 2021 and the beginning of 2022 as well as a partial restoration of external and fiscal positions following deep plunges in 2020. The war in Ukraine is projected to provide a windfall...

The economic outlook for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies appears far rosier now than it did even six months ago. Increased investment and consumption both public and private are contributing to growth while inflation remains subdued in most economies except for Saudi Arabia where it...

The world economy was on track for a strong, albeit uneven, recovery from COVID-19. However, the war in the Ukraine and supply-chain disruptions exacerbated by shutdowns in China due to the zero-COVID policy are dealing a serious blow to global recovery. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),...

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies performed strongly in 2022. Amidst a year of economic uncertainty marked by inflation, geopolitical crises, and supply chain insecurity, the GCC region registered remarkable GDP growth of 7.3 percent in 2022. Progress made on structural reforms are...