Qatar is poised to become the best-performing economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) by 2026 and 2027, according to the latest World Bank forecast. The report projects Qatar’s real GDP growth at 2.4% in 2025, accelerating to 5.4% in 2026 and reaching an impressive 7.6% in 2027 — the highest among all GCC nations.

The World Bank attributes this strong growth outlook to the expected phase-out of oil production cuts and a continued expansion in non-oil sectors. Comparatively, other GCC economies are forecast to grow at slower rates, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait trailing behind Qatar in projected growth for both 2026 and 2027.

Across the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, economic activity is also expected to rebound, with growth forecast to rise to 3.7% in 2026 and 4.1% in 2027. Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the region’s recovery is being driven by increasing oil output, resilient non-oil sectors, and a gradual easing of inflationary pressures in oil-importing countries.