Daily Update — October 08, 2025
GCC Energy Transition; Economic Growth in Emerging Markets; and Animal Feed Trade
Today is Wednesday, October 8, 2025, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
GCC Energy Transition: Utility-Scale Batteries Are The Next Big Move
Battery storage is critical to the Middle East’s energy transition, bridging the gap between abundant but intermittent solar and wind generation and sharply rising demand. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries host some of the world’s largest battery tenders, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates spearheading gigascale deployments.
In S&P Global Ratings' view, the GCC is one of the most dynamic battery storage markets globally, with Saudi Arabia targeting 48 GWh of capacity by 2030. It has commissioned or contracted several projects in the past year, while the UAE is advancing one of the world’s largest solar-plus-storage projects. The scale and speed of these projects underscore the GCC’s shift from pilot schemes to large-scale deployment in just a few years.
Economy
Listen: New Pathways to Economic Growth in Emerging Markets | The Decisive
In this episode of “The Decisive” podcast, host Kristen Hallam leads a discussion on the emerging markets landscape, exploring the challenges and opportunities ahead as we approach 2026. Joined by a panel of experts from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the conversation probes the economic resilience of developed versus emerging markets, the impact of trade dynamics and tariffs, and the role of technological advancements in shaping growth trajectories.
Learn about the performance of key emerging economies, including India, as well as the implications of geopolitical shifts on global supply chains from this episode, taken from our Sept. 10 client webinar.
Global Trade
India ends ban on de-oiled rice bran exports amid rice surplus
India's move to allow de-oiled rice bran (DORB) exports, effective Oct. 3, aims to stabilize local DORB prices and boost Indian exports, traders and millers told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights. India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced the policy Oct. 3, saying that DORB exports are "hereby amended from 'Prohibited' to 'Free' with immediate effect."
DORB is used for animal feed and extracted from grains and seeds, including solvent (de-fatted). India banned its export in July 2023 to control high domestic animal feed costs. The policy shift comes as India sits on a record rice inventory ahead of a bumper crop harvest. As of September, India holds 36.906 million metric tons of milled rice and 16.902 MMt of unmilled paddy in its central stockpiles, according to Food Corporation of India data. This is against the buffer stock norms of 10.25 MMt as of October.
In case you missed it
- European banks extended their stock rally in the third quarter, surging ahead of their US and Asian counterparts.
- Indonesia signed a mutual recognition agreement with Verra that enables carbon projects to enroll in the registry's Verified Carbon Standard program and the national registry simultaneously. This should streamline access to international carbon finance for the world's third-largest tropical forest nation.
- Japan's Shizuoka Gas closed the first round of a tender to buy LNG in a seven-year term contract starting April 2027.
Upcoming events
- China's Banks Edge Toward Japan's Low-Margin Trap | October 9 (Webinar)
- Banking Essentials Series: Bank Lending vs Private Credit | October 9 (Webinar)
- CERAWeek 2026 | March 23–27, 2026 (Houston)