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Industry Sector Research Highlights

The Report: Kuwait 2025
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Industry Sector Analysis

Kuwait’s industry sector occupies a key position in the country’s diversification agenda, balancing the challenges of global market volatility with domestic priorities for sustainable growth...

How innovation is strengthening water resilience in Qatar

Rhana Kurdi, CEO, Skydrops

In this Global Platform video, Rhana Kurdi, CEO, Skydrops, explores water security in Qatar and the wider GCC – examining the region’s heavy reliance on desalination and the structural vulnerabilities...

The Report: Saudi Arabia 2025
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Industry Sector Analysis

The horizon for the industrial and mining sectors is defined by a transition from rapid, volume-based expansion to strategic consolidation and resilience. While the fourth Future Minerals...

Special Reports on the Industry Sector
Special Report

Report: Strategic investment driving green energy, digital innovation and sustainable growth in Oman

Oman is embarking on a transformative journey under Vision 2040, combining innovation and sustainability to redefine its economic landscape. This report showcases...
Special Report

Report: Examining Indonesia's path to responsible paint production

With Indonesia’s National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) 2025-45 underscoring the role of manufacturing for economic growth, the paint and coatings segment has a role to play in sustainable...
Focus Report

Focus Report: How Special Economic Zones are shaping Africa's industrial landscape

As Africa embraces the transformative power of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Special Economic Zones (SEZs) emerge as pivotal catalysts for regional economic growth...
Special Report

Driving Saudi Arabia's economic transformation: Unleashing growth and innovation across strategic sectors

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 blueprint for socio-economic transformation is capturing international attention. Beyond high-profile projects and events, strategic cohesion and societal support are...
Focus Report

Focus Report: Trade and investment opportunities in Oman's special economic and free trade zones

Recent disruptions to global supply chains and recognition from policymakers about the urgent need to diversify the economy are combining to stimulate industrial development in Oman, with the...
Special Report

Report: How can West Africa boost its textile and garment industry in a sustainable way?

While West Africa is one of the largest producers of cotton, it has the ability to process less than 2% of the crop locally; around 90% is exported to markets in Asia, where value is added through spinning and...

Report: Strategic investment driving green energy, digital innovation and sustainable growth in Oman
Report cover: 'Examining Indonesia's Path to Responsible Paint Production,' showing a lab technician with eco-friendly paint cans, highlighting sustainable practices in the paint industry
Report: Examining Indonesia's path to responsible paint production
Focus Report: How Special Economic Zones are shaping Africa's industrial landscape
Driving Saudi Arabia's economic transformation: Unleashing growth and innovation across strategic sectors
Focus Report: Trade and investment opportunities in Oman's special economic and free trade zones
Report: How can West Africa boost its textile and garment industry in a sustainable way?
 

Unlocking Ghana’s potential through value-added manufacturing

Mukesh Thakwani, CEO, B5 Plus Group

In this Global Platform video, Mukesh Thakwani, CEO, B5 Plus Group, discusses the progress within Ghana’s steel industry, with local iron ore deposits helping to address raw material shortages and improve steel...

Report: How Oman’s strategic investment fosters economic diversification and innovation

With Oman Vision 2040 guiding long-term economic transformation, strategic investment is playing a key role in reducing reliance on oil revenue and fostering sustainable growth...

Industry Sector Analyses

Overview

Policy framework enables investment opportunities in Kuwait
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Kuwait’s industry sector occupies a key position in the country’s diversification agenda, balancing the challenges of global market volatility with domestic priorities for sustainable growth. The sector has been reshaped by regulatory modernisation, infrastructure investment and strategic initiatives aimed at reducing reliance on hydrocarbons. Although manufacturing remains a relatively modest contributor to GDP, the government has placed industry at the heart of its New Kuwait 2035 roadmap and National Industrial...

Analysis

GCC localises supply chains for employment growth
OBG
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International patent applications via the Patent Cooperation Treaty reached approximately 273,900 in 2024, representing a modest 0.5% increase following a slight decline recorded the previous year. Within this global context, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a remarkable growth trajectory, with the World Intellectual Property Organisation citing the Kingdom for its exceptional rises in filing activity. Domestic patent applications at the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property reached a high of 8029 in 2024, marking a substantial 13.3%...

Analysis

The MENA region poised to lead global steel decarbonisation
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As global industry seeks to reduce or eliminate its carbon footprint, a number of MENA countries are investing in green steel production to capture market share and help meet emissions targets. Industry generates 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually, with the steel manufacturing segment accounting for the largest share, at 7%, due in part to a reliance on coal to heat smelting furnaces. According to a September 2022 report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, the MENA region is well...

Overview

Saudi Arabia's industrial ecosystem shifts towards consolidation in strategic subsectors
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By the end of 2024 Saudi Arabia’s industrial trajectory had firmly transitioned into the second phase of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Programme (NIDLP), with non-oil activities contributing 55% to the Kingdom’s real GDP. As the industrial ecosystem solidifies its role as a primary engine for job creation, the mining sector has emerged as a critical third pillar in the country’s economy. Its GDP contribution has doubled since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016 to reach SR136bn ($36.3bn) in 2024...

Interview

Khalid Al Amoudi, CEO, Saudi Red Bricks Company
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On advancing quality, efficiency and value across the supply chain

The Report: Qatar 2025
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Industry Sector Analysis

Qatar is in the process of establishing itself as a regional centre for advanced manufacturing research and activities. A number of related international companies have established a presence in the country...

Industry in Africa

Economic Research Highlights

Business intelligence and insights on trends, developments, and opportunities in Africa's industry sector.

Industry in Emerging Markets

Economic Update

How the Strait of Hormuz disruption is accelerating ASEAN's supply chain transformation
OBG
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The reconfiguration of Asia-Pacific supply chains was well under way before the current disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to ASEAN countries reached a record $226bn in 2024, an 8% annual increase, even as global FDI fell by an estimated 11% and ASEAN overtook China as the preferred destination for manufacturing FDI originating from OECD countries. South-east Asian economies were already absorbing manufacturing activity relocating from China as...

Economic View

Hassan Daaboul, Co-CEO, Madar

On turning capacity into opportunity

Economic View

Georgy Georgiev, President, Honeywell Qatar, Kuwait & Pakistan

On how emerging technologies can provide efficient solutions to key challenges

OBG Talks

Is the Gulf ready for electric and autonomous vehicles?

As the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) work towards economic diversification objectives and net-zero goals, opportunities are opening up for automotive manufacturers to roll out innovations in electric and autonomous vehicles. With the region characterised by a relatively young, tech-savvy and wealthy consumer class and governments keen to advance sustainability progress and gain an early-mover advantage in next-generation technologies, the GCC potentially offers fertile ground for growth...

Economic View

Jack Uppal, President and Managing Director – Africa and Middle East, General Motors (GM)

On learning from supply chain challenges and the development of other segments

Economic News

Gulf countries look to space to harness scientific and commercial opportunities
OBG
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In the push to embrace emerging technologies and harness their potential commercial opportunities, Gulf countries are launching new initiatives to bolster their domestic space industries. In June Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers approved the transformation of the Saudi Space Commission, which was launched in 2018, into a full government agency known as the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to the space sector and exploration activities. The move followed the successful launch...

Economic News

Can MENA capture a share of the green steel market?
OBG
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As the global industrial sector seeks to shrink its carbon footprint, a number of MENA countries are investing in green steel production to capture market share and help meet emissions targets. Despite generating 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, industry has been slow in adopting carbon-efficient manufacturing technologies. Steel is the manufacturing segment with the largest emissions, accounting for 7% of global emissions annually due in part to a reliance on coal to heat smelting furnaces...

Economic News

What shifting supply chains for semiconductors mean for emerging markets
OBG
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After the US levied sweeping restrictions against China’s semiconductor manufacturing industry last autumn, opportunities are emerging for other countries to bolster their positions in the supply chain for this critical component of the global economy and linchpin of future technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and next-generation computing. In October the US Department of Commerce blocked the sale of semiconductors and chip-making equipment to China in a bid to slow its domestic industry...

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