Business

Gold has pulled back from its recent high of $1,919 per ounce, trading closer to $1,859 as geopolitical premium fades, while COMEX copper futures reached a record $6.7160 per pound in May 2026 — a divergence in commodity markets that carries specific implications for Gulf investors.

Kuwait and Oman each posted GDP growth of between 2.6 and 2.9 per cent, with both countries implementing accelerated economic diversification strategies — including Kuwait's fuel reserve expansion and Oman's utility-scale solar-plus-storage projects — to reduce dependence on hydrocarbon revenues.

Dubai's property market recorded Dh176.7 billion in total sales in Q1 2026, across nearly 48,000 transactions, in a performance that underlines why real estate...

The Middle East closed the first quarter of 2026 with a record hospitality development pipeline of 717 projects totalling 177,110 rooms — up 12 per cent year-on-year — led by Saudi Arabia's giga-project portfolio as UAE hotel demand softens amid regional tensions.

The GCC general aviation market, currently valued at $1.48 billion, is projected to reach $2.95 billion by 2031 at a 14.79 per cent CAGR, with eVTOL aircraft emerging as the fastest-growing segment at 17.21 per cent annually.

Positron AI, a US-based artificial intelligence inference startup, has established its first presence outside the United States at Dubai's DIFC, positioning itself to serve the Gulf's accelerating demand for next-generation AI infrastructure across healthcare, finance, and media.

GCC countries are achieving record-breaking solar electricity costs of between 1.04 and 1.32 US cents per kWh — the lowest in the world — driven by exceptional solar irradiation and government-backed investment, as the region positions itself as a future green hydrogen exporter.

The UAE's 2026 federal budget stands at AED 92.4 billion — up 29 per cent from 2025 — as non-oil GDP grew 6.8 per cent and total non-oil foreign trade crossed $1 trillion for the first time in the country's history.

Private sector companies in the UAE with 50 or more employees face a June 30 deadline to achieve a 1 per cent semi-annual growth in Emiratisation within skilled roles, as the government accelerates its workforce nationalisation drive alongside 7,842 new federal vacancies.

The Dubai Land Department has launched a pilot to integrate blockchain-based property titles into the official land registry, enabling fractional ownership to be recorded and transferred on-chain and opening Dubai's real estate market to a new class of investor.

Kuwait City does not often top travel wish lists. Sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, with a coastline on the Gulf and a skyline...

Saudi Arabia has launched the third and final phase of Vision 2030 with its GDP exceeding $1.31 trillion and non-oil activities accounting for 55 per cent of the economy, while tourism has surpassed its original 100 million visitor target three years ahead of schedule.