GSN’s risk gradings across the Gulf – revised January 2022


 GSN’s risk gradings across the Gulf – revised January 2022
Issue 1139
23 January 2022

This map of Gulf nations – including national boundaries, principal roads and main railways – shows the various risk grades which have been applied for GSN's Risk Management Reports.

GSN's risk grades are intended to provide a broad guide to political and economic stability in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, Iran, Iraq and Yemen. 

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Risk Management Reports

‘Risk grades’ are intended to provide a broad guide to political and economic stability in GSN’s countries of focus:

They do not change regularly: upgrades or downgrades are intended to reflect long-term trends or the impact of an exceptionally changed situation.

The grades are rated as follows:

  • Political risk – rated according to six grades, from A (most stable) to F (failed state). 
  • Economic and financial risk – graded from 1 (wealthiest/most sound financials) to 6 (bankrupt).

This relatively crude ordering is intended only to offer an immediate gauge of where risk stands in this regional pecking order. An A or 1 grade does not mean the polity is devoid of risk, while pockets of hope and opportunity may even remain in the lowest-rated states. 

To provide a degree of nuance, risk grades also use trend arrows which go upwards (↑) or downwards (↓) to denote cases where momentum is positive or negative.