Reading the register.
Reading the register.
Intelligence with context. Foresight that shapes decisions. The DIWAN register publishes commissioned studies, briefings, and market intelligence across sectors and jurisdictions.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Future Economic Trends
By 2025, Malaysia's GDP is projected to reach USD 472.2 billion, with a real GDP growth rate of 5.2%. The population is anticipated to grow to 36.0 million, with 77.4% living in urban areas. This urbanisation trend, combined with a stable inflation rate of 1.4%, suggests a conducive environment for investment and business expansion.
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar measured against the Malaysia standard — what is genuinely scaling, what is statistical noise, and where the investable core sits
2025 delivered record non-oil export headlines across the Gulf — but decomposition shows the UAE's +45.5% is gold-inflated and Saudi Arabia's +18.9% masks a −0.1% fall in domestic-origin shipments. Benchmarked against Malaysia (86.4% manufactured exports; ECI #27 vs UAE #35, Saudi #60, Qatar #83), the genuine convergence is concentrated in petrochemical derivatives and aluminium, both stress-tested by the 2026 Hormuz closure. The study ranks the four scaling sectors and closes with a ranked investable shortlist: downstream polymer conversion, aluminium recycling/rolled products, outside-strait logistics, and selective agri-food platforms.
The UAE's federal rulebook has shifted from writing rules to enforcing them. This edition of the AE-FED regulatory watch covers four fronts that moved since our last issue: the wholesale AML rebuild under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 (AED 100m fines, personal senior-management liability, a lower evidence bar, FATF evaluation year); the Advertiser Permit and SCA finfluencer regimes crossing in
Read this studyPhoto: Lucas Hemingway