Mirage in the Gulf?: Examining the Upsurge in FDI in the GCC and its Legal and Economic Implications for the MENA Region

Between 2002 and 2010, foreign direct investment (FDI) exploded in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Between 2002 and 2008 alone, FDI in the GCC increased over 3800%, outpacing both the developed and developing world by a significant margin. Although recent data suggests that FDI has declined in the GCC since 2010, scholars have yet to proffer nuanced analyses of the upsurge in FDI between 2002 and 2010.