Industrial Policy and the GCC:

The Middle East Council on Global Affairs hosted a virtual roundtable titled “Industrial Policy and the GCC: Stay the Course or Adapt to a New Reality?” to examine the evolving role of industrial policy in the Gulf amid shifting global economic dynamics. The session brought together leading economists, policy experts, and regional stakeholders to discuss how GCC states have historically used tools such as subsidies, state investments, and labor market interventions to drive economic diversification and whether these traditional approaches remain viable. As the global economic order is reshaped by rising protectionism, trade fragmentation, and strategic rivalry among major powers, participants explored the implications for the Gulf’s development strategies. The roundtable also examined the global resurgence of industrial policy and its relevance to the region’s path forward in an era of heightened uncertainty.