Special Report: What the IMF's world outlook means for Middle East economy

13 April 2008
As the IMF releases its latest World Economic Outlook, MEED looks at the effects of a global downturn on the Middle East.

The world economy's centre of gravity is shifting from the US towards China. The leading developed nations will grow by 3.6 per cent, predicts the IMF, but emerging and developing economies will grow by 6.6 per cent on average.

The Middle East is caught between the two extremes, but its fortunes are closely tied to both.

There is no doubt that the weakness of the US dollar is making life harder in the region.

The IMF is upbeat about the year ahead for the Middle East but other economists warn that the region is 'insulated, not isolated' from the problems.

Index of stories

  1. Analysis: IMF raises Middle East growth forecast

  2. Comment: Middle East should not be complacent over economic growth

  3. Last Word: A year of uncertainty

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.