The Gulf Cooperation Council economies delivered a robust performance in the third quarter of 2025, with real GDP growing 5.2 percent year-on-year to reach US$474.4 billion, according to data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf.
Nominal GDP climbed to US$595.8 billion, up from US$583.0 billion in the same period a year earlier, reflecting an annual growth rate of 2.2 percent. The gap between nominal and real growth figures signals that expansion was driven by genuine economic activity rather than price movements alone. Quarter-on-quarter, the bloc also recorded real growth of 1.6 percent, pointing to sustained momentum through the second half of the year.
The most significant takeaway from the data is the accelerating shift away from oil dependency. The non-oil sector accounted for 78 percent of nominal GDP and 70.7 percent of real GDP, underscoring how far diversification efforts have advanced across the region.
Sectoral contributions at current prices reflected a broadening production base, with manufacturing leading non-oil activities at 12.4 percent of GDP, followed by wholesale and retail trade at 9.7 percent, construction at 8.4 percent, and financial and insurance activities at 7.0 percent. Oil and gas extraction accounted for 22 percent.
Growth within non-oil sectors was equally encouraging. Real estate activities expanded 10.2 percent, accommodation and food services rose 8.2 percent, and wholesale and retail trade grew 8.0 percent — figures that reflect rising domestic consumption and a strengthening tourism sector across GCC member states.
The results reinforce a clear regional narrative: Gulf economies are not just growing, they are growing differently.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
