The regional director of the International Monetary Fund for the Middle East and Central Asia, former minister Jihad Azour (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The regional director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the Middle East and Central Asia, former minister Jihad Azour, was a key spokesperson for the organization during the spring meetings jointly held in Washington. In an interview with L’Orient-Le Jour, he shares the IMF’s economic forecast for the MENA region in 2025, ahead of the publication of a report on the subject, due in early May. Azour also addresses the challenges facing Syria and Lebanon.What are the main characteristics of the economic situation in the MENA region — in light of the various conflicts that have erupted since 2023, following the region's fragile recovery from the pandemic and the wave of tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration, affecting the outlook for global trade?Growth had reached 1.8 percent in 2024. It is expected to reach 2.6...
The regional director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the Middle East and Central Asia, former minister Jihad Azour, was a key spokesperson for the organization during the spring meetings jointly held in Washington. In an interview with L’Orient-Le Jour, he shares the IMF’s economic forecast for the MENA region in 2025, ahead of the publication of a report on the subject, due in early May. Azour also addresses the challenges facing Syria and Lebanon.What are the main characteristics of the economic situation in the MENA region — in light of the various conflicts that have erupted since 2023, following the region's fragile recovery from the pandemic and the wave of tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration, affecting the outlook for global trade?Growth had reached 1.8 percent in 2024. It is expected to reach...