– In June the GCC and the UK officially launched negotiations for a free trade agreement – The deal is expected to boost renewable energy and food security in the bloc – The launch comes as the GCC looks to attract investment for diversification plans – A final agreement would expand the GCC’s global trade footprint As part of plans to expand and diversify its global trade partners,…
–Efforts under way to increase the number of women in the workforce – Examining the impact of reforms introduced in the UAE – Employment, entrepreneurship and education opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia More female employees are joining workplaces and boardrooms in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with gender equality a key target of a regional drive to improve environmental, social…
– Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea tourism project secures green financing – The Gulf region looks to ecotourism initiatives such as "glamping" – The UAE is at the forefront of new approaches to tourism – Digital nomads and “long-stay travel” constitute an emerging trend With Saudi Arabia's flagship Red Sea tourism project securing $3.8bn in green financing, various governments in the Gulf…
On the industry’s role in the GCC’s economic diversification How has the GCC petrochemical industry been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic? ABDULWAHAB AL SADOUN: The health crisis had a significant effect on the petrochemical industry. In the first half of 2020 demand collapsed and prices plunged, a challenge compounded by supply chain disruptions related to the closure of…
The Covid-19 pandemic that spread quickly around the world after emerging in the city of Wuhan in December 2019 has been hard for many and extremely tragic for some. There are currently over 26.5m cases worldwide and almost 900,000 people have succumbed to the virus. Unofficially both figures are expected to be much higher, with the lack of testing and diagnosis in some parts of the world preventing…
Business Barometer: GCC CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved. This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives or equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional…
The Gulf has had to navigate some challenging terrain in recent times, and in the second half of 2019 these challenges have come in the form of steady escalation of tensions with Iran, which have dominated global headlines emanating from the region. Although Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman emphasised recently in a television interview with CBS News that a “political and peaceful solution is better…
The results of our most recent OBG Business Barometer: UAE CEO Survey arrive amid a flurry of global economic headlines. On July 23 the IMF announced a downward revision of global growth forecasts to 3.2%, citing the ongoing uncertainty stemming from escalating tariffs and tensions as the main drags onfuture growth. Meanwhile, on July 25 Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank,…
OBG Business Barometer: UAE CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved. This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives or equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional…
OBG Business Barometer: UAE CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved. This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives or equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional…
