Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Gulf to lead the recovery A rapid roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, combined with rising oil production and higher oil prices, will support a quick recovery this year in the Gulf economies. But other parts of the Middle East and... 20th January 2021 · 25 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Recovery faces strong headwinds The economies of the Middle East and North Africa have continued to recover in recent months but, while the Gulf countries seem to have the virus under control, low oil prices mean that fiscal... 21st October 2020 · 25 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Austerity and tourism to hinder recovery Oil production cuts, fiscal austerity, the continued spread of the virus, and weakness in key tourism sectors will hold back economic recoveries across the Middle East and North Africa. It will be one... 28th July 2020 · 25 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Steepest downturn since the 1980s Efforts to contain the coronavirus mean that the economies of the Middle East and North Africa will suffer their steepest downturn this year since the early 1980s. Draconian social distancing measures... 28th April 2020 · 16 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Recovery to disappoint even if oil price recovers Fears about the coronavirus outbreak have weighed on oil prices and clouded the near-term outlook for the Gulf countries. Lower oil prices and a possible deepening of oil production cuts will act as a... 5th February 2020 · 24 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Slow recovery lies ahead The region is set to record its second-lowest growth rate this decade in 2019 and, while a recovery is likely to take hold in 2020, it will be slow going. The drag on the Gulf economies from this year... 24th October 2019 · 24 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Regional growth to weaken further The regional slowdown at the start of this year has further to run. This will continue to be led by the Gulf countries, where the drag from oil output cuts will intensify and low oil prices will... 15th July 2019 · 24 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Oil producers to falter as Egypt strengthens We hold below-consensus growth forecasts for the Gulf States, where oil output cuts and renewed fiscal austerity will result in a sharp slowdown. We are, by contrast, relatively optimistic about the... 10th April 2019 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Fresh slowdown on the cards The region’s recovery is set to falter in 2019 and growth is likely to be weaker than most expect. Low oil prices shouldn’t cause major balance sheet strains in the Gulf, but tighter fiscal policy and... 22nd January 2019 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Region set for a temporary rebound The recovery in the Middle East and North Africa will gather pace over the rest of this year and in early 2019, but growth will peak sooner than most expect. Egypt’s cyclical upturn should continue... 24th October 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Recovery to gather pace The recovery in the MENA region will be stronger than most anticipate over the coming quarters. The Gulf economies are set to benefit from rising oil output and fiscal stimulus, while Egypt’s cyclical... 17th July 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook A sluggish recovery The recovery in the Middle East and North Africa should continue over the coming months but growth is likely to be weaker than most anticipate. The rebound is being led by the Gulf as the drag from... 19th April 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Region to mount a recovery Growth in the Middle East and North Africa slowed to its weakest pace since the global financial crisis in 2017, but the region is set for a recovery over the next twelve months. The rebound in growth... 30th January 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Turning the corner Growth across the Middle East and North Africa has slowed further this year, but it should recover in 2018 and 2019. In the Gulf, the drag on GDP growth from this year’s oil production cuts will fade... 5th October 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Regional slowdown approaching a trough The slowdown in the Middle East and North Africa should bottom out in the second half of this year and growth is likely to strengthen in 2018-19. In the Gulf, the hit to headline GDP growth from OPEC... 5th July 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Gulf growth to be trimmed by oil output cuts Headline GDP growth in the Gulf looks is likely to slow to an eight-year low of 1.5% in 2017. However, this will be entirely the result of oil production cuts as countries comply with last year’s OPEC... 20th March 2017 · 1 min read