Public-Private Partnerships in the Gulf Cooperation Council Region: Policy Discussions, Projects, Regulatory Frameworks, and Future Directions

Abstract

This policy insights paper explores the development of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region over the past three decades and argues that although GCC states did not embark on a full-fledged experience with PPPs, unstable oil and gas prices are changing this approach. PPPs are increasingly gaining strong political support, and GCC states have made numerous reforms to the existing regulatory and institutional systems to enable a more extensive uptake of PPPs that encompasses a broader spectrum of social and economic infrastructure services. This article offers an overview of the historical development of PPPs in the GCC region since the 1990s, illustrating policy discussions and motivations for adopting PPPs, the meaning and types of PPP projects that have been implemented or planned in the region, and the most recent developments in the regulatory and institutional frameworks underpinning PPPs.