Gulf countries' foreign reserves reach $874 billion in 2025

The Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries announced that total foreign exchange reserves of the Gulf states reached $874 billion by the end of 2025, noting that these reserves cover approximately 13 months of merchandise imports, a level more than three times the global average.

In its latest publication, the Center clarified that Gulf foreign exchange reserves account for about 5% of total global foreign exchange reserves, ranking fourth worldwide in terms of reserves.

The Center indicated that the total population of the Gulf states reached 63.3 million by the end of 2025, while the gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices amounted to approximately $2.4 trillion, and total crude oil production reached 16.6 million barrels per day.

Total loans extended by Gulf commercial banks amounted to approximately $2.1 trillion in December 2025. Saudi Arabia held the largest share at 41.4%, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 25.4%, Qatar at 17.8%, Kuwait at 9.5%, Oman at 4.3%, and Bahrain at 1.6%.