IMF Forecasts 0.3% Contraction for Middle East and Central Asia in 2026
The International Monetary Fund has sharply lowered its 2026 outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia, projecting the region’s economy will contract by 0.3 percent. Its previous forecast had called for 1.9 percent growth, a sharp reversal as war-related disruption and shipping risks weigh on economic activity. Hormuz disruption driv...