Consulting market of GCC to grow by 12% to over $8 billion in 2025
The Gulf region’s consulting market is projected to expand by 12% this year, taking its value to over $8.3 billion, led by strong growth in Saudi Arabia.
According to the latest market analysis by Source Global Research, the GCC is now among the fastest-growing consulting markets globally, with its 12% growth forecast for 2025 running at nearly twice the pace of the US, the world’s largest consulting market. While this year’s growth projection is slightly below the 13.3% achieved in 2024, it remains higher than the 11% initially forecast for 2025.
Saudi Arabia’s consulting market, the largest in the Gulf, outperformed the regional average last year, expanding by 14.1% to $4.3 billion in revenue. Growth is expected to moderate slightly to 13% this year.
The UAE, the region’s second-largest consulting market, is forecast to grow by 14% to reach $1.8 billion, while Qatar’s market is set to rise by 10% to $811 million.
Digital in high demand
All sectors in the Gulf recorded double-digit growth last year, with energy and resources performing particularly strongly at 21%. “This was largely driven by the sustainability agenda encouraging a transition away from oil dependency, pushing companies to diversify their businesses,” explained Source Global Research.
Financial services consulting revenues grew by 11.5% to $2 billion, while public sector revenues increased by 11.4% to $1.8 billion.
Nearly half of companies in the region reported significantly increasing their investment in digital technology over the past year. While large-scale projects are being reshaped, the overall pace of digital investment shows no signs of slowing. Indeed, 59% of companies indicated that spending on digital technology will rise considerably over the next 18 months.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a major driver of consulting demand. Two-thirds of clients surveyed by Source Global Research expect more than 30% of their consulting budgets in 2025 to be allocated to AI adoption and implementation.
Growing fast but spending under scrutiny
“Despite not yet having reached its peak, the GCC’s consulting market is beginning to shed some of the breakneck speed of its earlier expansion,” said Dane Albertelli, senior research analyst at Source Global Research. “Growth is expected to continue into 2025, but in some sectors – such as the public sector – rates are projected to slip into single digits.”
Another noticeable trend is rising cost-consciousness among clients during the tendering process. “Clients are no longer simply pursuing the biggest and most ambitious projects. They are committing to large-scale spending only when there is a clear expectation of return,” Albertelli observed.
“As the market matures, companies in the GCC are becoming more financially disciplined in their consulting spend, setting budgets and adhering closely to them to ensure maximum value for money,” he added.
For consulting firms in the Middle East, this represents a clear shift from an era when securing work was almost a given. “Today, firms must clearly demonstrate the value they bring to businesses and government organisations, with clients far more focused on the tangible return on investment from consulting engagements.”
