The Middle East Economy

Kuwait is a member of both the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the GCC. Additionally, the country is arguably the most politically dynamic in the Gulf, which has afforded it strong foundations to help tackle recent issues concerning parliamentary elections and accountability. By continuing with economic diversification...

With strong foreign reserves, a rapidly improving investment framework and a major state-led development programme under way, Kuwait is well positioned to attract growing levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade in the coming years. While the government has cut back on current spending recently, capital expenditure has continued...

Since Saudi Arabia began reducing its domestic wheat production in 2008, the issue of food security has been high on the agenda for GCC governments. The Kingdom, which was once self-sufficient in the grain and even exported to the wider region, recognised something that is true across the whole of the Arabian Peninsula: it is quickly running...

Kuwait’s security is an integral part of the security system of the GCC, and any threat targeting the security of one of the GCC countries will be treated as a threat to the security of Kuwait and to the rest of the GCC countries. We reject threats and cooperate to defeat them. This was reflected in practice when Kuwait suffered brutal...

One of the most important issues currently facing the Middle East is the changing composition of its demography. A massive cohort of young people – known as a youth bulge – is challenging policy makers, with youth policy affecting security, education, the labour market and welfare programmes, among other areas. Given the relative stability and...