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IMF jobs 4% growth rebound in Middle East and North Africa next year

Growth in the Middle East and North Africa area is expected to rebound to 4% next year, but will depend upon a stage out of oil production cuts and headwinds going away, consisting of from disputes, the International Monetary Fund stated on Thursday.

Development in the region will stay sluggish at 2.1% in 2024, according to the IMF's latest Regional Economic Outlook, released in Dubai, lower than earlier forecasts as geopolitical and macroeconomic aspects weigh.

The IMF warned that risks to the outlook for the whole region, consisting of the Caucasus and Central Asia, stay slanted to the downside, and required a velocity of structural reforms, including in governance and labour markets, to lift potential customers for medium term development.

For 2024, the MENA growth price quote has been revised downwards by 0.6% from April's report, generally due to the extension of the Israel-Hamas dispute and further extensions of OPEC+ voluntary oil production cuts, Jihad Azour, the IMF's. director for the Middle East and Central Asia department, said. in an interview.

He included that the good news was that inflation was. gradually being brought under control throughout the region, and. expected to average the 3% target rate in 2024, with the. exception of Egypt, Iran and Sudan.

However, the outlook varies considerably across the region,. with oil exporting countries anticipated to cope better with. potential threats, supported by strong non-oil sector development,. Azour stated.

Amid lower oil prices and lower oil production this year,. non-oil growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area, has. mainly exceeded total development as government led financial investment. programmes assist drive domestic demand. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman are part of the. GCC.

Middle East and North Africa oil importers stay more. susceptible to ongoing disputes and high funding requirements.

Even as these concerns slowly abate, unpredictability stays. high and structural gaps will likely keep back efficiency. growth in many economies over the projection horizon, the IMF. report said.

The IMF has approved $13.4 billion in new financing to Middle. East and Main Asian nations considering that January 2024, consisting of. for programs in Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan.

(source: Reuters)