Workers in Gulf Cooperation Council countries sent about $161bn abroad in 2025, the highest combined value of outward workers’ remittances globally and 13.6 per cent more than a year earlier, according to the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat).
The six-member GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
The increase amounted to about $19bn compared with 2024 and marked the second consecutive year of growth after a decline in 2023, the GCC-Stat said.
It linked the increase to continued demand for expatriate workers alongside expansion in infrastructure projects, services, industry and other non-oil sectors across the Gulf economies.
Remittances value to GCC GDP
Workers’ remittances were equivalent to about 6.6 per cent of the GCC’s combined gross domestic product in 2025, up from 6.0 per cent in 2024, 5.7 per cent in 2023 and 5.6 per cent in 2022.
The statistical centre said the ratio reflected the relative size of remittance flows compared with the Gulf economies and did not in itself indicate an improvement or deterioration in economic performance.
The GCC’s combined total exceeded outward workers’ remittances recorded by several major economies individually, according to the report.
Remittances from the US stood at about $107bn, while Switzerland recorded around $43bn, Germany $27bn and France $21bn.
Remittance flows from the Gulf are an important source of household income and consumption in recipient countries, particularly across Asia and other major expatriate labour markets.
Middle East crude oil exports exceed pre-war levels but tanker attacks increase
Middle East crude exports climbed above pre-war levels on several days in late September, even as tanker attacks intensified in and around the Strait of Hormuz
Crude oil exports from the Middle East rose above pre-war levels in four of the seven days of the final week of September, shipping data showed on Monday, despite attacks on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Crude exports from the region exceeded pre-war levels on September 24 and between September 27 and 29, rising to between 19.5 million barrels per day and 22.5 million bpd, provisional data from ship-tracking firm Kpler showed.
Exports averaged 18 million bpd between March 2025 and February this year beforethe US-Israeli war with Iran began.
The 7-day moving average for crude exports was at 18.5 million bpd on October 1, the data showed. These include transits via the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, exports from terminals and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.
The overall tally for crude, oil products, chemicals and non-gas liquids averaged 22.4 million bpd in the seven days to September 30, Kpler data showed.
The number of liquefied natural gas cargoes exiting the Strait of Hormuz also rose in September to its highest monthly level since February.
The figures exclude any vessels that might have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.
Before the Iran war started on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 large commercial vessels per day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels, accounting for some 20% of the world’s daily crude oil and LNG supply.
Ship attacks
However, attacks on tankers continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with at least seven incidents reported, shipping intelligence firm Marisks said in a report on Saturday.
The very large crude carrier Kazimah III was reportedly struck on October 1 by an unknown projectile while operating in the strait, causing a fire onboard the tanker, it added.
“All crew members were reported safe and were subsequently evacuated from the vessel,” Marisks said.
Kazimah III was last seen discharging 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude at the Ras Markaz port on the coast of Oman on September 17, Kpler data showed. Its owner, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency has reported at least one attack a day in the Strait of Hormuz or in the Gulf of Aden since October 2.
Marisks said merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz face a “heightened and increasingly unpredictable kinetic threat” given the recent sharp increase in traffic.
“Current intelligence suggests that the recent pattern of incidents may not necessarily represent deliberate targeting of individually selected merchant vessels,” Marisks said.
“Instead, available information indicates the possibility that Iranian forces are launching missiles into a predetermined engagement area or ‘kill box’, with weapons potentially acquiring and locking onto available radar signatures within that area.”
Physical presence within the engagement zone at the relevant time could itself represent the primary exposure, it added.
DEWA’s Smart System delivers a 95% cut in bank guarantee processing time
The system strengthens bank guarantee management through faster, more accurate and resilient procedures, while supporting the optimal use of resources and boosting workforce productivity
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has cut transaction turnaround time by 95 per cent through its Smart Bank Guarantee System, while reducing reliance on physical bank guarantees by 74 per cent, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, announced.
The system processes approximately 2,500 bank guarantees annually, with a combined value of around Dhs1bn, highlighting the scale of the authority’s digital transformation efforts, a WAM report said.
“We continue to leverage cutting-edge digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to redesign organisational operations and enhance efficiency, supporting Dubai’s vision for digital leadership while delivering faster, more resilient and proactive services,” Al Tayer said.
“We are developing an AI-driven integrated operational model that achieves the highest levels of operational efficiency and sustainability, contributes to zero bureaucracy and enhances customer and employee experiences,” he added.
Automation and control
Al Tayer said the system strengthens bank guarantee management through faster, more accurate and resilient procedures, while supporting the optimal use of resources and boosting workforce productivity. It also advances DEWA’s use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to automate repetitive procedures and tasks, reducing routine manual work.
The Smart Bank Guarantee System manages the full bank guarantee lifecycle through integrated digital processes covering receipt, review, updates and follow-up. It replaces paper-based procedures and manual tracking with a digital ecosystem that provides real-time tracking and data updates, while improving data quality, governance and financial control.
The system uses automated processing and verification powered by RPA-based validation, SWIFT authentication and SAP-linked digital audit trails.
The system has also received a five-star rating at the International Best Practice Competition, underscoring its effectiveness and positioning DEWA’s digital approach as a model for improving operational efficiency, transparency and service delivery, and strengthening the authority’s broader digital transformation agenda across key operations globally.
G7 agrees to coordinated 100 million barrel release to stabilise energy markets
The G7 reaffirmed its commitment not to impose restrictions on energy and energy-product exports between member countries and called on other producers to avoid bans that could add to market tensions
Group of Seven leaders agreed to coordinate the release of 100 million barrels through the International Energy Agency over four months, including a substantial diesel release in the first 20 days, as they seek to stabilise energy markets and ease pressure from surging prices.
The release will begin immediately and include a substantial amount of diesel front-loaded within the first 20 days by G7 members and partners, according to a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting of leaders.
The G7 said it would also coordinate refinery maintenance schedules to avoid simultaneous shutdowns and temporarily raise utilisation rates where feasible. It encouraged countries with significant refining capacity to increase production of refined products, particularly diesel.
Leaders asked the IEA to monitor implementation of commitments made in March and said they would meet within the IEA framework in the coming days to consider further diesel releases if necessary.
The G7 also reaffirmed its commitment not to impose restrictions on energy and energy-product exports between member countries and called on other producers to avoid bans that could add to market tensions.
The IEA was asked to assess the impact of the measures on energy security and market stability and provide a follow-up report within 20 days, including recommendations on future responses and the replenishment of emergency stocks.
The leaders also condemned what they described as continued Iranian attacks against neighbouring countries and disruption to international trade and energy security, and called for the restoration of navigational rights and principles in the Strait of Hormuz.
They said they would intensify efforts towards that objective and commended the US for efforts to maintain the flow of commerce through the strait.
The G7 also said sanctions against Russia would remain in place while members worked with the IEA and other international partners to limit spillovers into fuel, gas and other commodity markets.
The measures come as global energy markets face sharp volatility and elevated fuel prices.
Global Food Week 2026 to bring FAO, WOAH and policymakers to Abu Dhabi
Global Food Week will also host the FAO Policy Majlis, a dedicated platform for policy dialogue on agrifood systems transformation in the Near East and North Africa
Global Food Week 2026 will bring together international organisations, policymakers, investors and food-sector specialists in Abu Dhabi this week, with discussions focused on food security, agrifood systems, animal health and agricultural technology.
The event, organised by ADNEC Group, a Modon company, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), will run from October 6 to 8 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.
Participants will include representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), alongside governments, development institutions, researchers, private-sector companies and investors.
The programme will include the WOAH GCC & Africa Workshop, which will examine technical and trade cooperation between the Gulf and Africa, as well as animal health frameworks and cross-border disease challenges affecting food supply chains.
Global Food Week will also host YALAFAST, or Youth Action Leadership for Agrifood Awareness and Systems Transformations, an FAO youth leadership programme that brings together young participants from different countries to discuss agrifood systems and build international networks.
The FAO Policy Majlis will take place on October 7 and 8 and focus on agrifood systems transformation across the Near East and North Africa.
The programme will bring together policymakers, researchers, youth representatives, financing partners and private-sector stakeholders to discuss areas including science and technology, innovation, youth participation and investment in food systems.
Other events taking place during the week include the Global Food Security Summit, AgriTech Forum, Farmers Majlis and the Abu Dhabi Honey Forum, organised in collaboration with Apimondia.
The broader agenda will focus on policies, technologies and financing models intended to improve the resilience and efficiency of food systems and strengthen food security.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has set out seven rules for life in Dubai, outlining the values he believes should underpin the emirate as it continues to grow as a global city.
In a message addressed to Dubai’s citizens, residents, visitors and those who love the city, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said the emirate’s success should ultimately be measured not simply by what it builds, but by the society it creates.
“We have built a beautiful city, a harmonious society and a model experience for the world,” Sheikh Mohammed said in the Arabic-language message shared on Saturday.
He described Dubai as “a home for the world, for people and for life” and said his aim was for the city to remain an exceptional and inspiring human experience.
Image credit: Dubai Media Office/Website
The message forms part of The Messages, the second part of Sheikh Mohammed’s What Life Taught Me, which brings together lessons drawn from almost six decades of public service. The book contains 26 messages addressed to his family, colleagues, the people of the UAE and the wider world.
Here are Sheikh Mohammed’s seven rules for life in Dubai.
1. Life is responsibility
Sheikh Mohammed said responsibility begins with the individual and extends across every level of society. Employees are responsible for their work, leaders for their teams, parents for their families and individuals for their communities, he said.
Government, meanwhile, carries responsibility for the security, wellbeing, rights and happiness of everyone under its care.
“When every individual fulfils their responsibility, society lives a dignified and balanced life,” he said.
2. Respect human dignity
Respect for people is at the heart of civilisation, according to Sheikh Mohammed. That includes respecting a person’s religion, values, culture, time, feelings, dignity and rights, as well as showing respect towards women, older people, workers and those who may hold different views.
He said the quality of a city should not be judged by its buildings alone, but by the way it treats people.
3. Pursue excellence
Sheikh Mohammed described excellence as one of the strongest messages Dubai can send to the world. It should be visible everywhere, he said – from airports and roads to buildings, companies, public services and individual jobs.
Excellence is also cumulative, with small details and daily standards ultimately shaping the reputation and performance of a city.
“Dubai is a culture that lives within each one of us,” he said, adding that every task completed to a high standard contributes to the city’s wider civilisation.
4. Rise through humility
Humility was the fourth principle, with Sheikh Mohammed arguing that success should not diminish a person’s willingness to learn.
Humility towards others increases their respect for you, while humility in the face of achievement pushes ambitions higher, he said.
Dubai should also remember the modest origins from which it developed and recognise that there remains much more to learn and achieve.
5. Make optimism a way of life
Sheikh Mohammed said Dubai’s outlook should be founded on the belief that the future can be better – provided people continue to work towards it.
Challenges should be viewed as opportunities, crises as tests of creativity and the experiences of others as opportunities to learn.
He also reiterated a theme closely associated with Dubai’s development: that what appears impossible can be overcome through determination, belief and action.
6. Make doing good a habit
Supporting others and doing good should be embedded in everyday life, Sheikh Mohammed said.
That can range from helping someone in difficulty to offering a kind word, a smile, directions to someone who is lost or encouragement to a young person.
He said societies that lose their sense of goodness ultimately lose part of the meaning of life itself.
7. Be loyal to the nation
The final rule centres on loyalty to the country that provides security and opportunity. Sheikh Mohammed said loyalty means respecting the nation’s constitution and laws, protecting its achievements, honouring its flag and upholding values including honesty, justice, integrity, respect, excellence and responsibility.
“A nation is not geography, nor is it symbols,” he said. “A nation is a heart that beats within us and a spirit that runs through us.”
He concluded the message by drawing a distinction between physical development and the deeper task of creating a society.
“Constructing buildings and engineering cities is not a miracle,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“The real miracle is building a society founded on meaning, principles and great values.”
