Despite some corporate performance soft spots and pockets of socioeconomic discontent, the Gulf economies are a good bet for investors this year, and into the future. High oil prices conjoined with high levels of oil and gas extraction was the formula that kept national wealth in the Gulf region bubbling in the first nine months of 2012, says new research by financial services multinational, Barclays. While the probability of an economic union of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the near to midterm is next to nil in her assessment, Barclays’ economist and research director Alia Moubayed is positive on the outlook for the region in 2013, albeit with some caveats for individual countries. “We are largely bearers of good news, because our outlook for the region remains very positive,” Moubayed said. “Our recommendation for investors is basically to remain engaged in the region.” Its emerging-markets research team expects
