THE GULF LEDGER / ABOUT
A clearer read on the Gulf.
The Gulf Ledger is a free, bilingual guide to the economies of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It explains how the Gulf economy works, in plain English and Arabic, for students, professionals and anyone curious about the region, wherever they live.
Our mission
To make the Gulf economy understandable to anyone, anywhere. We take the forces that shape the region (energy, shipping, money, jobs and government policy) and explain them clearly, with the evidence on the page, so readers can follow the story behind the headlines and make up their own minds.
Why The Gulf Ledger exists
The six Gulf states supply a large share of the world's oil and gas, run some of its biggest investment funds, and employ millions of workers from across Asia and Africa. What happens in the Gulf shows up in fuel prices, shipping costs and family budgets far away. Yet clear, neutral explanations of how these economies work are hard to find, and harder still to find in both English and Arabic. The Gulf Ledger exists to fill that gap.
What you'll find here
Plain-language guides to the big topics, from oil prices and currency pegs to sovereign wealth funds and the workforce.
Country profilesAn economy-at-a-glance page for each of the six GCC countries.
The 2026 Hormuz crisis timelineA dated, sourced record of the events that reshaped the region's economy this year.
GlossaryShort definitions of the terms that come up again and again.
Gulf by the NumbersKey figures for all six countries side by side, each with its date and source.
How we work
Articles are researched and drafted with the help of AI tools. Every article is then checked against its sources and reviewed by the editor before it is published. Each fact is credited to a named, reliable source, such as the IMF, the World Bank, central banks, national statistics offices and established news outlets, with a link.
Our editorial principles
- Clear about what we know, careful about what we don't. We separate confirmed facts from forecasts and speculation, and we say when something is uncertain.
- Neutral. We explain the economy; we do not take sides in politics.
- A visible source trail. Every fact is credited and linked, so readers can check it themselves.
- Measured language. No hype, no alarm, no jargon left unexplained.
- Kept current. Facts that change are dated, and pages are updated as events move.
The full rules, including how we handle corrections, are on our Standards page.
Where our facts come from
We rely on official and established sources: the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the International Energy Agency, central banks, national statistics offices and major news organizations. Every fact links to where it came from, and anything that can change is labeled with the month it reflects. Our full rules are on the Standards page.
What we are not
- The Gulf Ledger is independent and nonpartisan.
- It is not affiliated with any government, company or university.
- Nothing on this site is financial, investment or legal advice.
Stay updated
We check the site every week, add new explainers regularly, and update facts and figures as events change. To get one short email a week with what changed and why it matters, sign up for the newsletter below.
Contact
Questions, suggestions or corrections: editor@thegulfledger.org