The controversial Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has begun talks to form a government after unexpectedly winning more seats than incumbent prime minister Haider al-Abadi. The Shia cleric has been a…

In March 2018 Moody’s downgraded the long-term and senior unsecured bond ratings of Oman to Baa3 from Baa2. The outlook remains negative. The ratings agency was responding to a weakening…

The Tunisian authorities will be able to drawn down a further $257m from the $3bn four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) following a successful second review of the programme in April…

Hopes of a restart to peace talks appeared faint in May 2018 after a series of events showed that the threat of more aggravated conflict is more likely than any…

The decision by United States president Donald Trump in May 2018 to reject the multi-party deal on Iran’s nuclear programme and so reimpose sanctions threatens to have major economic impacts…

Egypt will receive a further $2bn from the International Monetary Fund following a successful third review of the country’s $12bn three-year Extended Fund Facility. The disbursement that was agreed after…

The International Monetary Fund used its April 2018 biannual forecasts to upgrade its outlook for growth for 2018-2010 as it raised its medium-term outlook. It now expects the economy to…

Hopes of a major rebound in economic growth in 2018 have been dashed by forecasts from the International Monetary Fund in its April 2018 world economic outlook. The IMF sees…

The International Monetary Fund used its biannual economic forecasts in April 2018 to trim its outlook for growth in the face of the continued economic blockade. It forecast growth of…

Economic growth is set to slow in 2018, according to a number of forecasters including the International Monetary Fund, ratings agencies and the government itself. Economic growth will suffer a…

Growth in Kuwait’s non-hydrocarbon sector looks set to underpin the future path of the economy. While oil output fell 8% in 2017, non-oil activity grew by 3.3%, according to NBK.…

Saudi Arabia impressed the capital markets with its successful issue of a jumbo $11bn bond issue. The bond was almost five times oversubscribed, attracting $50bn of orders for the three-tranche…

Egypt’s military operations in the Sinai desert against an affiliate of Islamic State has left 420,000 civilians on the brink of humanitarian crisis, it was claimed in April 2018. Human…

The government’s policy of using an expansionary budget to deliver macroeconomic growth and stability in the short-term is “risky”, the International Monetary Fund said in March 2018. Algeria has reversed…

The UAE central bank tightened monetary policy in March 2018 following the US Federal Reserve’s first hike in interest rates since Jay Powell took over as Fed chair. The repo…

The International Monetary Fund and the Tunisian authorities were close to reaching a staff-level agreement in late March 2018 on the policies needed to complete the second review of Tunisia’s…

The direct economic and financial impact of the diplomatic rift between Qatar and neighburing countries in the region is “fading”, according to the International Monetary Fund. While economic activity was…

Ratings agency S&P has affirmed Kuwait’s credit rating, saying the outlook for the Gulf state is stable and that it will likely return to economic growth in 2018. It said…

Saudi Arabia almost certainly contracted in 2017 as the government pressed ahead with cuts in oil production. NBK bank has estimated that the economy contracted by 0.7% in 2017 overall…

Incumbent president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi won an overwhelming victory in the election in March 2018 to secure a second term as leader. The result had never been in doubt as…

Two of the largest emirates in the UAE posted strong growth in the third quarter, indicating that the whole economy will post up upbeat figure. Abu Dhabi grew by 5.3%…

Qatar showed resilience in first full quarter since the economic embargo against the emirate. Growth in the Qatari economy accelerated strongly in the third quarter of 2017, official figures showed.…

A senior United Nations executive used a speech in January 2018 to push for the country to hold credible elections this year in a bid to ensure a peaceful shift…

The first elections in a decade to be held in May 2018 offer a much-needed opportunity to engage the public in a dialogue on how to support macroeconomic stability and…

Economic growth is set to turn positive in 2018 after falling in 2017, but not at the pace that been hoped. The International Monetary Fund used its January 2018 annual…

The Saudi authorities used a big spending Budget for 2018 to send a strong signal to investors, businesses, and analysts both inside and outside the kingdom that the government was…

Egypt must grasp the opportunity offered by stronger growth and economic stability to push on with the “deep and lasting” reforms, the IMF has said. “This macroeconomic turnaround at home…

Economic prospects in 2018 and beyond will critically depend on rapid improvements in the political and security situation, and ultimately whether an end to the on-going conflict will allow for…

US President Donald Trump revealed in October 2017 that he would formally lift a host of sanctions against Sudan, after deciding that decades of punitive efforts had done little to…

In November 2017 Standard & Poor’s ratings agency responded led to a sharp deterioration in Oman's external current account thanks to the oil price shock with a cut to the…