Category: Business
137,000 GCC Tourism Job Losses and What Comes Next
Six months after conflict disrupted regional travel, GCC tourism job losses have reached 137,000 and the labor contraction is still uneven across member states. This piece breaks down where the cuts landed, how SME suppliers are absorbing the financial strain through stretched payment cycles, and how Gulf logistics networks are pivoting toward Asian trade to offset the loss in Western leisure travel.
Read More
Gulf Business Pivots and SME Survival: H1 2026 Review
Gulf businesses split into two groups this year. Some restructured early and gained market share. Others waited for old conditions to return and lost ground. This review breaks down the sector divergence, the SME policy tools each country used, and what the venture capital slowdown actually means.
Read More
How the UAE Splits GCC Green Hydrogen Investment Between Masdar and ADNOC
Abu Dhabi runs two separate strategies inside its green hydrogen investment program. Masdar expands overseas, ADNOC protects domestic cash flow, and each track answers to a different investor. This piece breaks down what the split means for GCC business leaders, industrial buyers, and the SMEs supplying the sector.
Read More
Which Gulf Industries Are Diverging?
Non-oil sectors across the GCC are growing faster than oil-linked industries, and the gap is widening. This piece breaks down which verticals, from FinTech to green hydrogen, are pulling in capital, and which segments face margin pressure as government budgets concentrate on primary national priorities.
Read More
Oman’s Duqm: why the region’s most underrated port is suddenly well-positioned
When the Strait of Hormuz closed in February 2026, Oman’s Port of Duqm was already positioned to absorb the redirected trade. Years of investment in infrastructure, the India-Oman CEPA, and sovereign capital are now paying off
Read More
Bahrain Fintech Sector: Economic Resilience in a Tight Fiscal Year
Bahrain carries the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the Gulf, yet its fintech sector is growing faster than almost anywhere else in the region. This piece breaks down how BenefitPay, Tarabut, and Flooss are turning fiscal pressure into a competitive advantage.
Read More
Qatar’s LNG Edge: Why Gas Exporters Outlast Oil States
Qatar’s fiscal breakeven sits at $37.88 a barrel by 2030. Kuwait’s sits at $90.50.
That gap is the whole story of how the GCC’s energy exporters handled the 2026 Hormuz disruption differently. Gas exporters lock in revenue through 20-year contracts before spending a dollar on infrastructure. Oil exporters sell into a spot market that moves against them in real time.
SME Credit Access in Oman: Why 3.7% Beats the 5% Mandate
Analysis | Read time: 8 minutes A structural friction point has persisted within the financial...
Read More
Saudi Arabia as a Manufacturing Hub: What the Tariff War Changed
The U.S. tariff regime has created a measurable cost advantage for Saudi-manufactured goods across six industrial categories. This article breaks down the data, the Special Economic Zones, and the three commercial decisions GCC manufacturers should be making now.
Read More
How GCC Corporates Are Adapting to the 2026 Economic Contraction
Dubai and Abu Dhabi real estate operate on different buyer profiles, return timelines, and regulatory frameworks. Dubai recorded more than 180,000 property transactions in 2025, with over 60% in the off-plan segment. Abu Dhabi attracts end-users, not traders. This article compares price per square foot, gross rental yields, exit liquidity, and the difference between RERA and Tawtheeq.
Read More
India-Gulf Trade: Investment, Ports, and CEPAs in 2026
Bilateral trade between India and the GCC reached USD 178.56 billion in 2024-25. This analysis covers sovereign investment flows, the RELIEF scheme for MSME exporters, Oman port diversification, CEPA terms by country, and what the incoming India-GCC Free Trade Agreement changes for corporate decision-makers.
Read More
DP World’s 28% profit drop: what it signals for Gulf logistics in 2026
Gulf logistics in 2026 faces a structural margin problem, not a volume shortage. DP World’s 29% profit drop on record revenue, Saudi Arabia’s new land bridge route, the Hafeet Rail link between Oman and the UAE, and cash pressure on SME operators — this analysis covers what each development means for GCC decision-makers.
Read More
