DUBAI, May 3 (Reuters) - Economic growth in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia regions will slow in 2023, underlining the need to accelerate structural reforms, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday. Real GDP growth in the Middle East and Central Asia is forecast to fall to 2.9% in 2023, from 5.3% last year, before improving to 3.5% in 2024, the IMF said in its Regional Economic Outlook report. Growth in the Middle East and North Africa region will slow to 3.1% in 2023, from 5.3% a year ago, and to 4.2% in the Caucasus and Central Asian states from 4.8% last year. "Uncertainties are high and there are a number of risks that are impacting the outlook for the region," IMF regional director Jihad Azour told Reuters. The IMF forecast is more conservative than the 4% projected in a recent Reuters poll.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 03, 2023 07:06 UTC