Tag: Investment

GCC stock markets in 2026 present a tale of sharp divergence: Dubai's DFM rose 17.2 per cent in 2025 and Abu Dhabi's ADX gained 6 per cent, while Saudi Arabia's Tadawul fell 13 per cent — its worst annual performance in a decade — creating contrasting opportunities for investors across the region.

Bahrain's economy in 2026 has achieved a milestone that few Gulf states can claim: non-oil sectors now account for 85 per cent of GDP, with financial services contributing 17 per cent and a fintech ecosystem that has evolved from a regulatory sandbox into a system-building powerhouse.

Abu Dhabi's AI investment push — led by MGX, Mubadala, and ADIA — has committed more than $100 billion toward artificial intelligence infrastructure, with co-led investments in Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, and Binance making the emirate one of the most consequential AI investors on the planet.

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.