Supplement
Middle East Supplement 2019
Tighter fiscal policies and oil-output cuts agreed to by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), plus Russia, could cause economic growth in the Middle East region to slow this year. Favorable demographics will underpin long-term growth in the decades ahead, but productivity gains will be slow, economists say. Despite efforts to diversify their economies, the Arab Gulf countries will remain reliant on their oil and gas sectors for years to come.