The healthy growth rates of the region’s oil exporters—Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen—are projected to moderate from an average of 5.7 percent in 2012 to 3.2 percent in 2013 (see table). This is mainly due to a scaling back of increases in oil production amid modest global demand.

By contrast, the region’s oil importers—Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Sudan, and Tunisia—face a difficult external environment. On average, this group of countries is projected to post moderate growth of 3 percent this year. In the Arab countries in transition, continued political uncertainty is also holding back growth.

IMF Survey : Economic Growth Moderates Across Middle East." IMF Survey : Economic Growth Moderates Across Middle East. IMF, 21 May 2013. Web. 23 Dec. 2013. .

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