Development of corporate governance codes in the GCC: an overview

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss and compare the corporate governance codes in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Design/methodology/approach – The development of corporate governance codes in the GCC is considered using an analytical approach. Findings – Efforts and initiatives are underway in the GCC towards improving the corporate governance environment and coping with international developments. Although most GCC codes are comprehensive compared to those of other Middle East North Africa (MENA) countries, and are similar to international codes, as with almost all countries in the region, there is room for development. Updated codes that address the unique nature of these countries could enhance corporate governance. Research limitations/implications – This comparison between GCC corporate governance codes provides opportunities to empirically compare the corporate governance status in these countries through indices or checklists based on the current comparison. Practical implications – The research facilitates future evaluations of corporate governance in Gulf countries. In other words, different stakeholders, including investors and analysts, can utilise this paper during decision-making. Moreover, comparing GCC codes to others in the MENA region would help to assess the GCC’s position in the region regarding these codes, and also alert firms to corporate governance reforms occurring in the region. Originality/value – The paper analyses the corporate governance codes issued in the GCC, which represents a group of countries with similar characteristics that are thus studied separately from other MENA countries, and compares the corporate governance codes issued for non-financial listed companies.