This Selected Issues paper analyzes the various transmission channels of the Syrian crisis-though quantification is hampered by the lack of reliable data-with focus on the impact on fiscal performance and labor markets; it also takes stock of international donor efforts to date. The paper also...

Sudan faces difficult challenges in the conduct of its monetary policy following South Sudan’s secession in 2011. Sudan’s economic conditions deteriorated rapidly after this permanent shock. The fiscal deficit widened owing to the loss of oil revenues and delays in fiscal adjustment....

This selected issues paper on Sudan was prepared by a staff team of the International Monetary Fund as background documentation for the periodic consultation with the member country. It is based on the information available at the time it was completed on September 7, 2012. The views expressed...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Context. On June 7, 2013, the Executive Board approved a 24-month Stand-By Arrangement in an amount equivalent to 400 percent of quota (SDR 1.146 billion or about $1.75 billion). To date, SDR 573 million equivalent to $877 million has been disbursed. The pillars of the program...

KEY ISSUES Political Context: Sudan is embarking on a difficult national dialogue with the opposition and some armed groups in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions. The objective is to break the current destructive cycle of instability and prepare for the upcoming presidential election in...

This issue discusses economic developments in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP), which continue to reflect the diversity of conditions prevailing across the region. Most high-income oil exporters, primarily in the GCC, continue to record steady growth and solid...

KEY ISSUES Context. Saudi Arabia's economy has grown very strongly in recent years, benefitting from high oil prices and output, strong private sector activity, and government spending. It has played a systemic and stabilizing role in the global oil market. The economy has not been affected by...

KEY ISSUES Context. High oil prices and production have contributed to sizable fiscal and external surpluses. Non-oil growth has picked up, mainly driven by consumption and investment. Political developments in the last few years have had an adverse impact on the implementation of public...

This Selected Issues paper discusses the designing and implementing of Kuwait’s fiscal policy for the medium term. Fiscal policy has a major role to play in supporting macrostability and diversification. The fiscal strategy design and implementation on a yearly basis are based on a few key...

KEY ISSUES Inflation has subsided, but longstanding vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly apparent. Economic growth is holding up well, inflation has fallen below the central bank’s target, and fiscal and external buffers remain large. But the economy’s dependence on the hydrocarbon...