The International Monetary Fund (IMF) affirmed that economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa has accelerated this year, despite global uncertainty and rising regional tensions and conflicts.
According to Agence France-Presse, the IMF said in a report on Tuesday that the region’s GDP is expected to grow by 3.3 % in 2025 and 3.7 % next year, exceeding projections in a report published in May.
IMF Director for the Middle East and Central Asia, Jihad Azour, said, “Despite the shocks we have faced from trade policies to geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and oil price volatility, growth is stronger than last year at the regional level,” noting that the economy grew by 2.1 % in 2024.
He noted that Gulf countries benefited from higher oil production while other nations saw recoveries in tourism, industry, and agriculture, highlighting the region’s resilience amid major geopolitical shocks over the past two years, including Jordan and Egypt near conflict zones, referring to the war on the Gaza Strip.
He stressed that priorities include assessing damage in Gaza, addressing urgent needs, and planning reconstruction with the UN and World Bank, while noting that financing needs remain “immense” in other conflict-affected countries, including Yemen and Sudan, amid declining international aid.
