On Saturday, 13 November, 2021, “Economic Diversification in the Gulf States: Opportunities and Challenges”, a two-day conference organized by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, will begin in Doha.

Sixteen researchers from Germany, the Gulf countries, and other Arab countries will participate in the conference, addressing economic diversification in the Gulf. The conference will present the opportunities that diversification can provide for these countries to reduce their exposure to fluctuations in global oil prices, create job opportunities in the private sector to absorb young people, and increase productivity and sustainable growth, paving the way for the non-oil economy when oil revenues begin to decline. It also addresses the structural challenges that stand in the way of achieving economic diversification in the Gulf countries, including the lack of fiscal policy stemming from the absence of taxes, including the income tax; as well as the interest of governments in oil and related products as the only globally tradable and competitive commodities, at the expense of non-tradable sectors that are produced for domestic consumption, in addition to a decrease in investment in the industrial sector, and a decrease in citizen participation in the private sector.

The conference provides an academic platform to discuss the subject and answer a set of research questions. What are the problems associated with financial policies in the Gulf countries? And how can they be overcome to diversify their economies? Should Gulf countries invest more in the industrial or the services sector, or both? Is there a model that the Gulf countries should follow to achieve economic diversification? What is the role of the private sector in achieving economic diversification in the Gulf countries? How can the Gulf countries attract foreign direct investment? How can the public sector be kept attractive to Gulf citizens while ensuring increased productivity? Are additional laws needed to boost women's participation in the economy?

The conference will be held at the Doha Institute and also livestreamed through the Arab Center's social media accounts.

• Simultaneous translation is available in both Arabic and English.
  
• Conference Booklet and Agenda.