Countries "cooperation" Outperforms the global average in the 2026 Economic Freedom Index
Muscat, 2 May / WAM / Data issued by the Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf showed that the GCC countries continued to enhance their performance in the Economic Freedom Index for the year 2026, recording a clear superiority over the global average, in an indicator that reflects the strength of economic openness and the improvement of the business environment in the region.
The average economic freedom index for the GCC countries, according to the data, was 66.9 points, exceeding the global average of 59.9 points by a difference of nearly 7 points, which reflects a higher level of economic openness compared to the international average.
The data indicate that all GCC countries witnessed improvement or stability in the value of the index between 2025 and 2026, with limited variation in performance levels between countries, which indicates the continuity of economic reforms and policies supporting growth.
At the Arab level, the GCC countries ranked among the top seven Arab countries, which strengthens their position as the most open economies in the region.
A higher value of the index (which ranges from 0 to 100) indicates a freer and more open economy, as countries are classified into categories ranging from “repressed” to “open”. The index also relies on four main axes, including the rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency, and market openness, and is calculated through 12 sub-indices and covers 184 countries around the world.
The improvement in the economic freedom index contributes to attracting foreign investments, stimulating economic growth, creating job opportunities, enhancing competitiveness, improving the well-being of individuals, reducing corruption, and stabilizing financial markets, to reflect the success of the economic policies and structural reforms pursued by countries in the region, and confirms their ability to enhance an attractive investment environment and achieve sustainable economic growth in line with global best practices.
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