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

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Financial growth throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is set to speed up in 2026, with the area predicted to outshine its 2025 performance regardless of soft oil earnings and ongoing global uncertainties. According to a new Oxford Economics research instruction, GCC GDP development is expected to rise to 4.4 percent in 2026, up from 4 per cent in 2025, showing a durable nonenergy sector, strong consumer dynamics, and slowly enhancing oil output.

However the current forecasts recommend that Gulf economies are now wellpositioned to gain back momentum, buoyed by reinforcing domestic need and a broadly steady global backdrop. The report highlights GCC customers as a significant chauffeur of the area's economic performance heading into next year. Low inflation, robust labour markets, and growing real disposable earnings are expected to sustain a surge in consumer costs throughout the Gulf.

Credit growth is likewise anticipated to remain elevated as access to financial services widens. With GCC main banks anticipated to follow anticipated United States Federal Reserve rate cuts due to the region's dollar pegs, borrowing costs are likely to decline, giving homes and companies further inspiration to invest and invest. While the nonoil sector continues to anchor the area's strength, the GCC's hydrocarbon outlook presents a blended picture.

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This might weigh on firsthalf growth, especially for economies more depending on oil extraction. Oxford Economics forecasts a rebound later in 2026, with Opec+ members expected to resume raising production as stocks tighten up and worldwide demand improves. Qatar, on the other hand, sticks out as a regional outperformer, with considerable growths in gas production and exports expected to lift its general economic performance.

Saudi Arabia's 2026 budget anticipates a 6 per cent cut in capital expenditure as the kingdom aims to narrow its fiscal deficit by two percentage points. However, the report notes that these cuts may not materialise completely if countercyclical spending steps are triggered to support growth. By contrast, more varied economies such as the UAE and Qatar are expected to continue advancing their development programs.

In spite of shortterm threats connected to oil prices and worldwide demand, the GCC's 2026 economic outlook is specified by strength in fundamentals: durable consumers, robust nonenergy sectors, improving oil characteristics, and strategic financial preparation. With these factors aligning, the region is preparing for one of its most balanced periods of expansion over the last few years anchored by a clear upward trajectory in GDP growth.

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RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council local economies are anticipated to remain durable in 2026, driven by strong domestic demand and a broadly consistent international economy, according to an analysis. In its most current report, Oxford Economics highlighted that the real gross domestic item of the GCC region is expected to expand by 4.4 percent in 2026, up from the projected 4 percent this year.

We anticipate GCC development will rise to 4.4 percent in 2026, from 4 percent this year."In November, the GCC Statistical Center said that economic development in the region is set to speed up to 4.3 percent by 2027, driven by broadening non-oil sectors.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Non-oil activities accounted for 73.2 percent of overall GDP, up from 70.6 percent at the end of 2024, highlighting the area's continued development towards diversification. According to Oxford Economics, GCC customers will be standout performers in 2026 and are expected to outperform their global peers.

In December, the IMF even more stated that heading inflation is anticipated to stay 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 development is expected to remain elevated in the GCC region throughout 2026, as access to financial services is expected to grow and financing is forecasted to be supported by additional cuts in rates of interest."Owing to their currency pegs to the United States dollar, GCC central banks are expected to follow the US Federal Reserve by easing monetary policy further, which in turn will reduce debt servicing expenses and boost non reusable earnings and need," said the report.