The gross domestic product (GDP) of the GCC states reached approximately $2.4 trillion in 2025, positioning the council's economies among the world's influential economic powers, according to data issued by the Gulf Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat).
The data, issued on the eve of the 45th anniversary of the Council's founding, said the non-oil sector's contribution exceeded 78%, with non-oil GDP growth reaching 5.3% during the same year â a clear indication of the success of economic diversification pathways in the GCC states.
The GCC was established on May 25, 1981, with the aim of enhancing cooperation, integration, and interconnection among member states across various fields, achieving development, stability, and prosperity for their peoples, and strengthening their regional and international position.
In the financial sector, the GCC states continued to enhance their financial stability, with commercial bank assets reaching approximately $3.9 trillion, registering growth of 11.9% between 2024 and 2025. Bank deposits reached $2.3 trillion, with a growth rate of 10.6%, reflecting strong banking liquidity and growing confidence in the Gulf financial sector.
Indicators also confirm the growing weight of Gulf investments globally, with the assets of Gulf sovereign wealth funds reaching approximately $5 trillion, representing 30.3% of total sovereign funds worldwide, thereby strengthening the GCC states' presence in international markets and investments.
In trade, the GCC states recorded a total trade volume of $1.6 trillion in 2024, a growth of 7.4% compared to 2023, while Gulf merchandise exports reached approximately $849.6 billion, reflecting the continued strong Gulf presence in global trade and international supply chains.
In the energy sector, the GCC states maintained their pivotal position in the global energy market, with oil production of 16.6 million barrels per day, accounting for approximately 22.2% of global crude oil production.
Global competitiveness indicators for 2025 also show notable progress by the GCC states. The Council ranked 15th globally in the overall index, 8th globally in the tax policy index, and 11th in the public finance index, in addition to achieving advanced positions in indices for labour market, infrastructure, business efficiency and governance.
At the level of Gulf integration, the Gulf Common Market recorded continuous growth in 2025, with intra-GCC trade reaching approximately $146 billion, a growth of 85.2% compared to 2012. Meanwhile, the total capital of joint-stock companies rose to $549 billion, exceptional growth of 237.6% compared to 2007.
The GCC states also witnessed growing social mobility, evidenced by the movement of more than 41.4 million Gulf citizens among member states, an increase in the number of Gulf students studying in government schools of other member states to 43,200 students, in addition to approximately 488,900 Gulf citizens benefiting from cross-border healthcare services - clear manifestation of the depth of Gulf social cohesion and developmental integration.
In the tourism sector, Gulf tourism revenues reached approximately $132.3 billion, reflecting the growing appeal of Gulf destinations and their capacity to attract global tourist traffic.
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