Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia dominated the Gulf Cooperation Council region’s primary debt market in the third quarter of 2025, raising $20.32 billion through 36 issuances, representing a 62.7 percent year-on-year increase in value, according to a new analysis. 

In its latest report, Kuwait Financial Center, also known as Markaz, said that primary issuances of bonds and sukuk across the GCC totaled $38.74 billion through 137 issuances during the third quarter, marking a 32.4 percent increase from the same period in 2024, when issuances reached $29.29 billion. 

The debt market in the region — particularly in Saudi Arabia — has expanded significantly in recent years, driven by economic diversification efforts that have strengthened investor demand for fixed-income instruments.

“As for issuance preferences, the third quarter of 2025 saw an increased appetite for sukuk issuances in the GCC, representing 52.6 percent of total issuances for the year. This is a change in issuance preferences from the third quarter of 2024, where more conventional bonds were issued,” said Markaz. 

According to the report, UAE-based issuers raised $5.82 billion through 57 offerings in the third quarter, marking a 47.3 percent decline compared with the same period in 2024.  Qatar ranked third in terms of issuance value, with $5.69 billion raised through 29 issuances, followed by Kuwait, where issuers raised $3.42 billion through eight issuances, reflecting a 118.4 percent increase year on year. 

Issuances in Bahrain surged 539 percent from a year earlier to $2.55 billion across four issuances, while Omani entities recorded the lowest total, raising $0.94 billion through three issuances.

Markaz added that total GCC corporate primary issuances grew 4 percent in the third quarter to $26.59 billion. Conventional issuances decreased 18.6 percent to $18.37 billion, while sukuk issuances rose sharply — up 202.7 percent during the quarter — reaching a total value of $20.37 billion for the year to date.