DOHA: Residents of Qatar spend more money on consumer goods and services compared to those in other GCC countries, according to the 2012 National Bonds GCC Savings Index, released yesterday by National Bonds Corporation PJSC, a UAE-based savings scheme and investment firm.
Qatar residents also lead the tables in increases in spending on eating out (33 percent) followed by UAE (30 percent), Kuwait (27 percent) and Oman (26 percent). Seventy four percent of people in Saudi Arabia and 71 percent of people in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain admitted that they do not save regularly. The only country that improved significantly is the UAE, where 65 percent of respondents made the same claim.
Personal priorities differed amongst GCC residents, children’s education (which ranked number one in Qatar and UAE) and retirement (which ranked top in Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain) were unanimously chosen as two of the top three reasons for saving money across all six GCC countries. The Peninsula
