IMF Says 2027 Recovery in Middle East Hinges on Easing Conflict, Resumption of Trade

Jihad Azour, director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, said the war in the Middle East was weighing on the region’s economic outlook, with economies across the Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan expected to contract by 1.3% in 2026 before rebounding strongly in 2027, provided the conflict eases and trade gradually returns to normal.


