Foreign Direct Investment Determinants in Oil Exporting Countries: Revisiting the Role of Natural Resources. (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eissa, Mohamed Abdelaziz; Elgammal, Mohammed M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of emerging market finance. Volume 19:Number 1(2020:Jan./Apr.)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 65
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Foreign direct investment (FDI) -- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- natural resources -- oil exporting countries; Banks and banking -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Financial institutions -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Securities -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; 332.09172405
• DOI: 10.1177/0972652719880153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0972-6527

Abstract

This article explores the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in oil-dependent economies and revisits the role of natural resources in attracting FDI to countries of this kind. Panel data from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have been employed, covering the period from 1990 to 2015. First, we investigate the FDI determinants during the entire sample period, and then run another investigation starting from the beginning of 2000, when the FDI in the GCC region increased substantially. The results show that there is a positive nexus between market growth, trade openness, inflation, infrastructure, oil price and FDI. Interestingly, oil reserves have a negative impact on FDI; this may be because countries with large reserves of oil like the GCC countries have enough financial resources to finance their economic development. This leads these governments to set up restrictions to protect their resources, thus reducing the amount of resource-seeking FDI. JEL Codes: E22, F21, F23, F43, O13