Omar Al Mansoori

Gulf Cooperation Council sovereign wealth funds have collectively crossed USD 4 trillion in assets under management in 2026, with Abu Dhabi's ADIA, Saudi Arabia's PIF, Kuwait's KIA, Qatar's QIA, Mubadala and ADQ among the world's most active investors reshaping global real estate, technology, infrastructure and private equity markets.

Kuwait's Al Zour Refinery has reached its full designed production capacity of 615,000 barrels per day in 2026, making it the Gulf's largest refinery and one of the world's ten most productive, with output primarily targeting export markets in Asia and Europe and reducing Kuwait's dependence on imported petroleum products.

GCC neobanks and digital banking platforms have collectively surpassed 15 million customers in 2026, led by UAE's Wio Bank and YAP and Saudi Arabia's STC Pay and Tabby, as the Gulf's young, tech-savvy population drives a digital finance revolution that is reshaping the region's banking landscape.

The Kuwait Investment Authority has grown its assets under management to an estimated USD 969 billion in 2026, maintaining its position as one of the world's five largest sovereign wealth funds and continuing its strategy of diversifying Kuwait's national wealth across global equities, private equity and infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia is in Group H at the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde, with matches on June 16, 21 and 26. Here is the complete fixture schedule with Gulf kick-off times and where to watch across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.