TAG: UAE: Dubai
The IMF, which forecasts GDP growth will reach 3.3% in 2020, has noted that green shoots are beginning to emerge in the UAE, nourished by domestic credit growth and low unemployment figures. This is a sentiment that chimes with OBG’s assessment of the local market. The results of the latest Business Barometer: UAE CEO Survey reveal a generally upbeat and optimistic private sector, with 64% of respondents either positive or very positive about the country’s business environment over the next 12 months.
The Gulf has had to navigate some challenging terrain in recent times, and in the second half of 2019 these challenges have come in the form of steady escalation of tensions with Iran, which have dominated global headlines emanating from the region.
In the results of our most recent annual OBG Business Barometer: Gulf CEO Survey, 76% of CEOs identified regional political volatility as the biggest external risk (other than movements in commodity prices) facing the region in the short to medium term. Concerns notwithstanding, however, there is a definite sense that the challenging economic circumstances are being successfully managed. When asked what their expectations of the local business environment were for the coming 12 months, 72% of CEOs responded positive or very positive, slightly up from the 70.3% who responded likewise in 2018.