Tag: Investment

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.

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.