MENA Regional Economic Outlook - IMF Report Launch

Overview

Countries in the Middle East and North Africa region responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with swift and stringent measures to mitigate its spread and impact, which came at a steep economic cost. Countries in the region, like in most of the world, are now cautiously reopening their economies, but given recent surges in COVID-19 infections, some are reinstating lockdowns. The global recovery remains uncertain, uneven, and prone to setbacks. Sizable uncertainty surrounds the evolution of the pandemic, the outlook for contact-intensive sectors, and financial market sentiment.

While massive global policy support avoided worse outcomes, economies are increasingly facing difficult trade-offs between implementing measures to support near-term growth and avoiding a further buildup of debt. Containing the health crisis and cushioning income losses remain urgent priorities. As countries reopen, policymakers must lay the groundwork for recovery to rebuild stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economies.

The IMF’s 2020-21 Regional Economic Outlook (REO) explores these developments and the challenges ahead for the MENA region, including the threat of economic scarring, the fiscal challenges the crisis has created, financial stability concerns that have arisen, and policy priorities to support the recovery. On October 27, we invite you to join a high-level panel discussion on how to tackle these critical economic issues faced by the MENA region and the global economy during this unprecedented crisis.

Agenda

4:00 pm - 4:05 pm: Welcome Remarks, Hadley Gamble, Anchor, CNBC
4:05 pm - 5:30 pm : Panel Discussion moderated by Hadley Gamble, Anchor, CNBC with Q&A

• Gita Gopinath, Director of the IMF’s Research Department and the Fund’s Chief Economist
• Jihad Azour, Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department
• Reza Moghadam, Vice-Chairman for Global Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley, former Director of the IMF’s Strategy, Policy and Review, and European Departments
• Nasser Saidi, Founder and President, Nasser Saidi & Associates

Partners