The issue of Omanisation – which refers to the initiative to increase the percentage of nationals in Oman’s workforce – has a considerable pedigree. The concept was first introduced in 1988 as a means to reduce the nation’s reliance on expatriates in key areas of economic activity, such as the oil and gas sector. Over time, most private sector...
Oman’s banking sector has weathered the economic downturn resulting from the 2014-15 hydrocarbons price crash without a significant erosion in asset quality and returned to its long-term trend of deposit and loan growth. As a result of firmer oil prices and a broadly positive outlook for the sultanate’s economy, the industry is preparing for a...
A Malaysian influence has been detectable in the GCC economic arena for many years, particularly in the Islamic finance industry, which has benefitted from the models trialled first by the Malaysian financial regulator. Kuala Lumpur has emerged as a generator of sharia-compliant standards to complement the GCC’s own Accounting and Auditing...
Located in the south-eastern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is the only member of the GCC situated outside of the Gulf. Leveraging its strategic location, Oman has invested in infrastructure with the goal of becoming a global logistics centre. While the country is less hydrocarbons-rich than its GCC neighbours, diversification efforts...
Despite volatility in international oil prices and delays in the implementation of economic diversification strategies, ratings agencies and the IMF agree the outlook for Kuwait is strong and stable, as it is home to substantial oil reserves and one of the world’s richest sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). Geologists calculate domestic oil fields...
With 6% of the world’s proven oil reserves and 1% of its natural gas, Kuwait had an estimated GDP per capita of $71,943 in power purchasing parity terms in 2017, according to the World Bank. This was the eighth-highest value for any country or autonomous region, putting it behind only Qatar, Macao, Luxembourg, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam,...
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