Via Kyle Fitzgerald in thenationalnews.com: The International Monetary Fund on Friday lowered its growth forecast for the Middle East and North Africa this year, largely reflecting a slowdown in Saudi Arabias economy due to Opec+ production cuts. The broader Mena economy is projected to grow by 3.5 per cent this year, according to the IMFs latest World Economic Outlook, half a percentage point down from its October update. Saudi Arabia, the biggest Arab economy and Opec’s top oil producer, is forecast to grow by 3.3 per cent in 2025, a downwards revision of 1.3 percentage points. Its economy is projected to grow by 4.1 per cent in 2026, which is down by 0.3 percentage points from the funds October forecast.
