GCC Statistical Office: Industrial Investments in GCC States Reach $426 Billion

Muscat, Oct 18 (KUNA) -- The Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said on Sunday that industrial investments in the GCC states reached approximately $426 billion by the end of July last year, underscoring the growth and expansion of the industrial base in the region.

In its report on the GCC industrial sector, the Center noted that there are around 22,000 factories employing more than 1.7 million workers, and that manufacturing industries contributed about 13 percent of the GCC’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025.

It clarified that approximately 40 percent of industrial investments are concentrated in key sectors, notably plastics, refined petroleum products, aluminum, gaseous fuels, iron, and steel. These industries form an important foundation for manufacturing and intermediate industries and support the integration of industrial value chains.

Regarding foreign trade, the Center pointed out that industrial products account for about 69 percent of the total exports of the GCC states, with the most prominent among them being petroleum gases, hydrocarbons, petroleum oils, cars, organic chemicals, aluminum, ships and boats, and electrical machinery and equipment.

In this regard, it noted that China accounts for about 20 percent of the total imports of the GCC states, making it the largest source of imports. The most prominent imported goods include machinery and equipment, cars, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, and plastics, with diversified supply sources.

The Center emphasized that these indicators reflect the breadth and diversity of the GCC’s industrial base, as well as the disparity in the scale of industrial activity among GCC states in terms of investments and the number of factories, amid expanding production capacity, growing investments, and an expanding network of commercial markets.

It also stressed the importance of these developments in supporting economic growth, developing value and production chains, creating greater opportunities to enhance GCC industrial integration, localizing value chains, diversifying the economic base, increasing the contribution of non-oil activities, and raising the competitiveness of GCC products and industry.

The Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, was established in 2011 to serve as the official body responsible for data, information, and statistics related to the GCC states, as well as to enhance statistical and informational work among national statistical centers and planning authorities in the region. (End) M.J.B. / M.A.K.