The IMF's regional outlook report for the MENA region said Brent crude oil prices — which are down from highs above $120 a barrel in 2022 — are likely to be $65 to $69 per barrel in 2025 and 2026, making energy-exporting economies vulnerable to market fluctuations.
Tariff plans by the US and other countries and geopolitical tensions also have created mounting economic uncertainty globally that is weighing down on the region's economies, which could negatively impact their growth by anywhere from 2% to 4.5%, Jihad Azour, director for Middle East and Central Asia at the IMF, said.
