This study investigates the impact of energy intensity and CO₂ emissions on economic growth in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, aiming to understand the interplay between energy consumption, environmental sustainability, and economic performance. We analyze data from 1990 to 2023 across six GCC countries. The study employs the fixed effects model, random effects model, and pooled regression model to examine the relationships between energy intensity, CO₂ emissions, and GDP growth, controlling for factors such as foreign direct investment, trade openness, population, unemployment, and urbanization. Our findings reveal a significant negative impact of energy intensity on economic growth, and an increase in energy intensity is associated with a decrease of approximately 0.2969 units in GDP, indicating that higher energy consumption per unit of output hinders economic performance. While CO₂ emissions positively affect growth in GCC countries, a one-unit increase in CO₂ emissions is associated with an increase of approximately 0.3961 units in GDP. The study emphasizes the necessity for GCC countries to adopt sustainable energy practices to reduce energy intensity and boost economic growth. By aligning economic strategies with environmental sustainability goals, these nations can achieve long-term growth while effectively addressing the challenges of climate change. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable development in the region and underscores the importance of harmonizing economic growth strategies with environmental objectives.

The purpose of this research paper is to examine the long-term dynamics between economic growth, technological integration, and environmental sustainability in Saudi Arabia from 1995 to 2023. It aims to identify the impact of key economic, technological, and environmental indicators, including GDP, ICT sector performance, foreign direct investment (FDI), trade, and ecological footprint, on the country’s development trajectory. The research employs a quantitative approach, using VAR-VECM models to analyze time-series data. The study applies Granger causality tests and impulse response functions (IRFs) to investigate the causal relationships between variables, focusing on the effects of economic complexity (ECI), ICT, trade, FDI, and environmental sustainability. The findings reveal that economic growth, represented by GDP per capita, significantly impacts the ecological footprint over time, while trade plays a complex role in both environmental sustainability and economic diversification. Technological integration, especially through ICT exports, is closely linked to economic complexity, though foreign direct investment (FDI) appears to negatively influence the development of high-value sectors. The study also shows that while technological growth accelerates economic performance, it is accompanied by increased environmental impact, emphasizing the need for sustainable policies. The Granger causality tests indicate that the ecological footprint influences other variables, but its direct connection to GDP per capita is weak. This research contributes to the understanding of the interconnectedness between economic growth, technological development, and environmental sustainability in Saudi Arabia, providing insights for policymakers focused on achieving balanced, long-term growth. The study’s originality lies in its integration of various economic, technological, and environmental dimensions to analyze Saudi Arabia’s sustainable development trajectory, particularly through the lens of ICT and FDI.

Saudi Arabia, as one of the world’s leading oil producers, faces critical challenges in transitioning to sustainable economic growth. The heavy reliance on oil exports, coupled with rapid urbanization and environmental degradation, underscores the urgent need for green growth strategies tailored to the Kingdom’s unique socioeconomic and environmental context. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the Green Growth Index (GGI), which measures sustainable economic growth, and analyze the short-term and long-term relationships between key variables such as environmental technology diffusion, carbon emissions, financial development, GDP per capita, and urbanization. The research employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to assess the effects of various explanatory variables on the GGI, considering both immediate and delayed impacts. The model also incorporates an Error Correction Model (ECM) to evaluate the short-term dynamics and long-term equilibrium adjustments. It is found that the diffusion of environmental technologies and urbanization positively influence GGI in the short term, while CO2 emissions are also linked to growth in the short run. However, financial development negatively impacts green growth in the long term, and GDP per capita has no significant effect. The ECM indicates that urbanization and emissions are major short-term drivers, while other factors show minimal short-run influence. This paper provides new insights into the dynamics of green growth by highlighting the roles of urbanization, environmental technologies, and emissions, offering valuable policy implications for sustainable development. The findings contribute to the understanding of the complex relationships that shape green growth in both the short and long term.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare the efficiency ratios and the technological gaps of banking industries in seven countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.Design/methodology/approach: The meta-frontier model was used to evaluate efficiency across countries that may have different production technologies.Findings: The results of the meta-frontier analysis of banking systems over the period from 1991 to 2011 showed that Tunisian banks were the most efficient in terms of cost and profit. For the cost (profit) model, the analysis of the technological gap showed that Egyptian (Tunisian) banks used the most advanced technology in offering financial services to clients. The comparison of efficiencies confirmed that most efficient banks in terms of cost are not necessarily the most efficient in terms of profit and vice versa. The authors also concluded that cost efficiency analysis provides a partial view of banking efficiency and hence, profit efficiency analysis is as important.Originality/value: The study is relevant for policymakers, regulators and monetary authorities and for researchers to know more about the real differences of efficiency of banks across countries in MENA region and to clarify the sources of this inefficiency to better adapt to the new environment, to make strategic decisions and to reference the performance of banking institutions.

The objective of this study is to examine the factors that influence energy consumption, a critical component of both industrial and everyday life that is projected to increase annually. The research focuses on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and uses panel data from 1990 to 2023 to assess the impact of economic growth, trade openness, population growth, urbanization, inflation, and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) on energy consumption. The findings, derived from a rigorous Augmented Mean Group (AMG) regression analysis, reveal a positive and significant relationship between economic growth, trade openness, and inflation on energy consumption. However, the study also outlines that FDI, population growth, and urbanization do not exert a significant influence on energy use. The analysis highlights a critical challenge faced by GCC countries: the need to balance high industrial energy consumption with sustainability goals. The study underscores the necessity of transitioning to sustainable practices, including energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption, as crucial elements for achieving long-term growth and climate commitments. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable development in the region and underscores the necessity of incorporating environmental factors into economic growth strategies.