GCC industrial investments reach $425.9 billion

Data from the Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) showed the growth and expansion of the industrial base in the GCC countries, where the volume of industrial investments amounted to about 426 billion US dollars, while the number of factories reached about 22 thousand factories, and more than 1.7 million workers work in the industrial sector, according to the latest statistical data available until July 2026.

The contribution of manufacturing industries reached about 13.0% of the GDP of the GCC countries in 2025, confirming the importance of the industrial sector in supporting the economies of the GCC countries, promoting economic diversification efforts and increasing the contribution of non-oil activities.

About 40% of industrial investment is concentrated in a range of core industries, most notably plastics, refined petroleum products, aluminium, gaseous fuels, and iron and steel, which represent an important base for manufacturing and intermediate industries and support the integration of industrial value chains.

In the field of foreign trade, industrial products represent about 69% of the total exports of the GCC countries, most notably petroleum gases and hydrocarbons, petroleum oils, automobiles, organic compounds, aluminum, ships and boats, and machinery and electrical equipment.

On the import side, China accounts for about 20% of the total imports of the GCC countries, as the largest source of imports, and the most prominent imported goods are concentrated in equipment and machinery, automobiles, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, and plastics, with a variety of sources of supply.

These indicators reflect the breadth and diversity of the Gulf industrial base, and the disparity in the volume of industrial activity among the GCC countries in terms of investments and the number of factories, in light of the expansion of production capacity, the growth of investments, and the expansion of the network of commercial markets, which enhances the role of industry in supporting economic growth and the development of value chains and production, and opens greater opportunities to enhance Gulf industrial integration, localize value chains, diversify the economic base, and raise the competitiveness of Gulf products and industry.

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