Bahrain chaired a virtual GCC tourism meeting focused on strengthening regional cooperation and advancing joint tourism initiatives. Discussions covered promotion and marketing, tourism data, a unified guide licence, the Gulf Tourism Capital initiative, international cooperation, joint events and hotel classification.
Alpha FMC, a leading global consultancy to the financial services industry, has expanded its presence across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with the opening of a new office in King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), Riyadh, strengthening its regional footprint and providing a dedicated base for its growing team in the Kingdom.
Tourist arrivals to Mauritius from the Middle East increased by approximately 10.5% between January and July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, as the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) prepares to target further growth across the GCC at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026.
The total number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in the countries is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from about 6.4 million units at the end of 2025 to reach 12.5 million units by 2030, said a report.
GCC central bank officials reviewed regional efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing at a key meeting held in Bahrain where they also discussed ways to boost regional financial systems, including co-operation on payment infrastructure, banking supervision and cybersecurity.
Companies listed on GCC exchanges reported aggregate net profits of $74.8 billion in Q2, up 31.3% over previous year. At the country level, the profit growth was led by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman, where firms posted double-digit y-o-y increases, according to Kamco Invest.
Gulf Cryo, a Middle Eastern provider of liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂), is set to significantly expand its regional production capacity from 700 metric tonnes per day (MTPD) to 1,300 MTPD by the end of 2026, equivalent to more than 470,000 tonnes annually.
Visit Newport Beach has inked a collaboration agreement with Qatar Airways under which the flag carrier will promote the Californian destination as a premier tourism hub for GCC residents, while supporting efforts to establish the region as a priority market for luxury tourism and business exchange.
Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways has launched its biggest-ever sale, giving travellers the chance to buy one ticket and get the second for free with 3 million seats available for travel across the airline’s entire network. The promotion runs till September 26 and will cover more than six months of travel.
Growth in the non-oil private sectors of GCC economies accelerated in August, with output and new orders increasing at a faster pace and supplier delivery times improving, despite continued geopolitical uncertainty, according to top ratings agency S&P Global.
