16/04/2026 01:16 AST
Companies listed across the Gulf Cooperation Council saw revenues rise 3.6 percent to a record $344.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, even as profits fell to a three-year low amid losses in key sectors, an analysis showed.
In its latest report, Kuwait-based Kamco Invest revealed that aggregate revenues of GCC-listed firms climbed in the final three months of 2025, with gains broad-based across most sectors but partly offset by declines in materials and energy revenues.
Amid revenue growth, net profits fell sharply to a three-year low of $49.4 billion in the final three months of 2025.
The gap between rising revenues and falling profits shows that companies are facing pressure on margins, as lower oil prices, weaker demand for petrochemicals and higher costs weighed on earnings, especially in energy and materials sectors.
Listed companies operating in key sectors such as banking, real estate, telecom, utilities and energy play a key role in supporting economic diversification across GCC countries.
In its latest report, Kamco Invest stated: "GCC banks registered a y-o-y profit growth of 9.6 percent to $15.9 billion, while the real estate sector registered a profit growth by around a third to reach $4.7 billion."
Overall, the net profit among GCC corporates declined by 24.7 percent quarter on quarter, while it dropped by 13.2 percent year on year in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The profit contraction was driven primarily by steep losses in the materials sector, which swung to an aggregate loss of $4.8 billion in the fourth quarter from a profit of $478.2 million a year earlier.
Net profit in the energy sector also dropped by 17.3 percent year on year to $21.3 billion.
The utilities sector reported profits of $700 million against a net loss of $1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.
In Saudi Arabia, the banking sector was the biggest gainer, with net profits rising 16.2 percent to $24.7 billion for the full year 2025, led by gains at Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi National Bank, and Riyad Bank.
However, overall profits of Saudi-listed firms declined by 34.6 percent year on year in the fourth quarter, reaching $22.8 billion.
In Dubai, profits of listed corporate firms reached $28.2 billion for the full year 2025, driven by the banking, real estate, and utilities sectors.
Abu Dhabi was the strongest performer in the region, marking a profit growth of 20.7 percent in 2025 to reach $43.5 billion.
Arab News
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