The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2023, outpacing the global growth rate of 2.8%, according to a report by PwC. The non-oil economy is recovering, fuelled in part by a return of expat populations in the region. The five GCC states with regular tourism data showed a -8% lag behind 2019 levels at the start of 2022 – however, by the fourth quarter, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain exceeded expectations, according to the report. Meanwhile, the wider Middle East is more vulnerable to global trends of persistently high inflation, interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty. The report found progress was promising across the region, but some room for improvement on certain key performance indicators (KPIs). For example, halfway through its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has been successful in increasing female workforce participation to 36%, surpassing the targeted 30%, while Abu Dhabi has made progress in diversifying its economy, with non-oil GDP reaching a 59% share in 2021, close to its 2030 target of 64%, but has been less successful in diversifying government revenue.