$2.4 Trillion GCC Economy Breaks Into World's Top 10 Rankings
At the 15th AIM Congress in Dubai, where leaders gathered under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the numbers behind regional growth took center stage. For residents tracking business expansion and job markets across the emirates, the scale of regional integration is translating into tangible capital movement.
Investment Pathways Expand As Regional Markets Hit Record Scale
Speaking at the summit alongside His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi laid out the figures defining the bloc’s economic footing. The GCC collectively ranks among the world’s 10 largest economies, anchored by a gross domestic product of approximately US$2.4 trillion.
Backing that output are sovereign wealth fund assets exceeding $5 trillion, alongside commercial bank assets sitting at around $3.9 trillion. Albudaiwi pointed to joint Gulf action dating back to the Council’s establishment in 1981, including the Free Trade Area, Customs Union, and GCC Common Market, as the bedrock enabling these milestones.
Local commercial networks are feeling the shift. Inward foreign direct investment stock reached approximately $792.7 billion, with intra-GCC investment accounting for around $171.4 billion, or nearly 22 percent of the total. National development visions continue widening private sector participation, opening up direct avenues in artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, renewable energy, tourism, and financial services.
Albudaiwi noted that these collaborative economic frameworks have turned Gulf integration into a primary catalyst for cross-border business networks and supply chains.
The 15th AIM Congress concluded with regional officials calling on global partners to lean into long-term investment strategies across the member states.
