The Middle East Economy

Public spending in Kuwait has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with a host of domestic and international experts warning that expenditure levels are unsustainable. Kuwait’s welfare system guarantees housing, education, health care and one-off grants to its citizens, as well as cheap power. However, the state is moving forward on...

The government has identified private sector participation as a critical facet of its five-year, $109bn spending plan, reforming its regulatory framework in recent years to enhance the state’s attractiveness to foreign investors. Kuwait has traditionally ranked at the bottom of GCC nations in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows,...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are set to play an increasingly important role in Kuwait’s economic diversification, following the recent government decision to roll out a multibillion-dollar SME fund aimed at reducing youth unemployment and encouraging entrepreneurship. Although SMEs comprise the majority of registered companies in...

Seven decades of expanding oil production have led Kuwait to become one of the richest nations in the world, with strong oil revenues driving years of successive budget surpluses, leading the state’s young population to boast one of the world’s highest GDPs per capita. Kuwait’s generous welfare system has guaranteed free education, health care...

With every GCC member state investing in transport, the region is currently undergoing something of a road and rail boom. In the first three quarters of 2013, about $30bn in rail construction contracts were awarded across the GCC, and while some estimates suggest as much as $200bn could be spent over the next five years on regional rail...