The economy of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries continued to grow, showing positive performance in the third quarter of 2025. This indicator reflects the continued ability of Gulf economies to balance the role of the oil sector with enhancing the contribution of non-oil activities to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to the weekly bulletin issued by the GCC Statistical Center, the nominal Gulf GDP reached approximately $595 billion in the third quarter of 2025, achieving a year-on-year growth of 2.2% compared to the same period in 2024. The data reveals that this growth was not limited to nominal indicators only but also extended to the real GDP at constant prices, which amounted to $474 billion during the third quarter of 2025, marking an annual increase of 5.2% compared to the third quarter of 2024. This reflects a genuine improvement in Gulf economic activity, free from the effects of price changes alone. The bulletin also showed that all GCC economies achieved positive real growth rates during the same period, reinforcing the image of economic stability at the regional level. Gulf economies continue to gradually consolidate their economic diversification path. Although oil and gas extraction activities remained the top sectoral contributor at 22.0% of the total nominal GDP in the third quarter of 2025, the contributions of non-oil sectors were remarkable and influential; manufacturing recorded 12.4%, followed by wholesale and retail trade at 9.7%, then construction at 8.4%, along with public administration and defense at 7.5%, and financial and insurance activities at 7.0%, and real estate activities at 5.8%, while other activities collectively accounted for 27.3%. This composition clearly indicates that the production base in GCC countries has become broader and less dependent on a single sector, despite the continued central importance of oil and gas. The most significant aspect revealed by these data is that economic diversification in the Gulf is no longer just a declared strategic goal but has become tangibly translated into the structure of the GDP. The substantial contributions from manufacturing, trade, construction, financial, and real estate activities indicate a clear progress in building alternative and supporting growth engines for the oil sector. At the same time, the continuation of oil and gas as a main component at 22% shows that the ongoing transformation is a gradual and balanced one, based on maximizing returns from traditional resources while expanding the non-oil economic base. Collectively, these numbers present a positive picture of the Gulf economy in the third quarter of 2025, characterized by continuous growth, strong real expansion, and increased participation of non-oil sectors in the economic mix. They also reinforce the view that economic diversification in GCC countries is moving forward at a studied but tangible pace.
