Accra:According to Bahrain News Agency, industrial investments in the GCC states have reached approximately $426 billion, with nearly 22,000 factories in operation. The industrial sector employs more than 1.7 million people as per the latest available data from July 2026.
In 2025, manufacturing contributed around 13.0% to the gross domestic product of the GCC states, highlighting the sector's role in economic diversification and the enhancement of non-oil activities. Key industries such as plastics, refined petroleum products, aluminum, gaseous fuels, and iron and steel concentrate around 40% of these industrial investments, forming a crucial foundation for manufacturing and supporting the integration of industrial value chains.
Industrial products dominate the GCC's foreign trade, constituting about 69% of total exports. Significant export items include petroleum gases and hydrocarbons, petroleum oils, motor vehicles, organic compounds, aluminum, ships and boats, and electrical machinery and equipment.
China is the largest source of GCC imports, accounting for about 20%. The region imports a range of goods, including equipment and machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, and plastics from various global markets.
These statistics demonstrate the GCC's expanding and diversifying industrial base, with noticeable variations in industrial activity among member states. The sector's growth is contributing to economic development, enhancing GCC industrial integration, and boosting the competitiveness of Gulf products and industries.