BlackRock: Gulf Countries Have Demonstrated Financial Resilience

BlackRock has confirmed that Gulf countries have demonstrated their financial and economic resilience during the Iran-US crisis, particularly given the growing interest from regional nations in investing and injecting liquidity into the arteries of Gulf economies to sustain their economic growth. Ihsan Khoman, Head of Middle East Research at BlackRock, stated that Gulf countries and their savings are secure, noting that Gulf economies withstood the Iranian crisis and managed to overcome it.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Khoman added that approximately $2.1 trillion has been announced for investment in the Gulf region across a wide range of sectors, most notably oil and gas, petroleum exploration, and the construction of pipelines between Gulf countries to bypass the Hormuz Strait export crisis. He emphasized that this represents a cornerstone and highlights the region’s importance in global investment.

Khoman clarified that one of the most significant sectors, which will not be affected by regional tensions, is artificial intelligence, especially given the availability of the necessary foundations for this sector, as well as the massive projects that countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait will inject into it. He further noted that the defense and port sectors are among the most important areas for investment in the coming period.

He pointed out that investment trends will also focus on traditional energy as well as renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, noting that investment is forthcoming in the oil and gas sector, and therefore Gulf oil projects will assume major importance. Khoman affirmed that all Gulf countries are enthusiastic about investing in the coming period, particularly with the announcement of investments in oil pipeline construction and asset management, which will form the basis for future oil, gas, and petrochemical exports.