Licence or Product Purchase Required

You have reached the limit of premium articles you can view for free. 

Get expert, on-the-ground insights into the latest business and economic trends in more than 30 high-growth global markets. Produced by a dedicated team of in-country analysts, our research provides the in-depth business intelligence you need to evaluate, enter and excel in these exciting markets.

View licence options

Suitable for

  • Executives and entrepreneurs
  • Bankers and hedge fund managers
  • Journalists and communications professionals
  • Consultants and advisors of all kinds
  • Academics and students
  • Government and policy-research delegations
  • Diplomats and expatriates

This article also features in Industry Search Page. Read more about this report and view purchase options in our online store.

Industry Sector Research Highlights

The Report: Ajman 2025
OBG
plus

Industry Sector Analysis

Accounting for 18.8% of Ajman’s GDP, the emirate’s industrial sector spans a wide range of activities, from food packaging to artificial intelligence and robotics. In recent years, this priority sector has...

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...

The Report: Bahrain 2024
OBG
plus

Industry Sector Analysis

Industry, including large aluminium plants and numerous smaller enterprises, represented 14% of the economy in 2023 with aims to increase its contribution to 14.5% by 2026. The kingdom has long...

The Report: Saudi Arabia 2024
OBG
plus

Industry & Mining Sector Analysis

Saudi Arabia’s industrial and mining sectors are key to its diversification and privatisation efforts, supported by public investment, regulatory reforms and growing foreign direct investment...

Industry Sector Analyses

Overview

Ajman industry grows with strong sustainability focus
OBG
plus

Accounting for 18.8% of Ajman’s GDP, the emirate’s industrial sector spans a wide range of activities, from food packaging to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. In recent years, this priority sector has experienced consistent growth, driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. Leveraging its strategic location with proximity to two international airports, as well as a seaport on one of the world’s key waterways – the Gulf – and a modern highway network, Ajman is now embarking on a major new phase of expansion in its...

Interview

Ismail Al Naqi, Director-General, Ajman Free Zone Authority
OBG
plus

On how investment in digital transformation enhances competitiveness and operational efficiency

Analysis

Ajman government initiatives boost future workforce readiness
OBG
plus

Industry 4.0, characterised by the integration of digital technologies and automation into manufacturing and industrial processes, presents significant opportunities and challenges for Ajman and the UAE as a whole. The national government has been proactive in adopting Industry 4.0 initiatives, including the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MIAT). These policies aim to enhance overall productivity, efficiency and innovation within the industrial sector...

Analysis

The MENA region is poised to lead global steel decarbonisation
OBG
plus

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

Smart industry initiatives in Bahrain support local businesses
OBG
plus

While oil and gas may be the first industry that many people associate with the Gulf, the non-oil sector is by far the most dominant component of Bahrain’s economy. In 2023 the non-oil sector was responsible for a record 83.9% of the kingdom’s GDP, and industry accounted for around 14% of the overall economy that year. This category stretches from the giant aluminium plants of Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) to the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) present in the kingdom’s many industrial estates and workshops...

Interview

Forward thinking: Ali Al Baqali, CEO, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)
OBG
plus

On embracing technology and workforce development to build resilience

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...

Industry in Africa

Economic Research Highlights

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

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...

Industry in Emerging Markets

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
plus

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
plus

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
plus

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...

Economic News

Will more sustainable plastics revolutionise waste management in emerging markets?
OBG
plus

As an increasing number of countries ban single-use plastics, waste remains a significant environmental issue – although a variety of initiatives promise to make emerging markets the focus of the global struggle against plastic waste. The Covid-19 pandemic saw a decline in plastic usage; however, it led to an increase in littering from personal protective equipment (PPE) and single-use plastics. Additionally, much of this waste is disposed of unsustainably, ending up either incinerated or stored in landfill, the third-largest source...

Economic News

The role of industrial zones in SME growth in emerging markets
OBG
plus

As governments across Africa look to bolster the economic potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industrial parks and special economic zones (SEZs) are emerging as key enablers of their development. SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, particularly in emerging markets, where they make up 90% of all businesses and create 50% of all jobs. The impact is higher in Africa, where SMEs employ around 80% of the continent’s workforce. But while SMEs are a major economic driver, there is also significant room for further growth. In Egypt, for example, SMEs employ 75% of the workforce, but contribute less than 20% of the country’s exports....

Featured Countries in