The tourism and industrial sectors in North Africa are likely to be hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2020 edition of the North Africa Economic Outlook report (https://bit.ly/30d484X), published on Tuesday by the African Development Bank (http://www.AfDB.org). The rapidity with which economic and other restrictions are being lifted in North Africa is raising uncertainty and suggests two distinct recovery scenarios. Regarding the current account balance, North African countries recorded an average deficit of 4.4% of GDP in 2019. APOTechnical Contact:Audrey Verdier-ChouchaneSpecialist Chief Economist for North AfricaMedia Contact:Fahd BelbachirSenior External Relations and Communications Officerf.belbachir@afdb.orgAbout the African Development Bank Group:The African Development Bank Group (http://www.AfDB.org) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).

Source: The North Africa Journal July 14, 2020 19:07 UTC