Seminars, Webinars, & High-level Events
Webinar on IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook for MENA: War in the Middle East: Economic Spillovers and Policy Challenges
May 11, 2026
The IMF–Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (IMF‑CEF) and the IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department (IMF‑MCD), in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), jointly hosted a webinar on “IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook for MENA: War in the Middle East—Economic Spillovers and Policy Challenges” on May 11, 2026. The event marked IsDB’s first participation in this webinar series, building on the longstanding CEF–MCD collaborations. Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Moez Souissi, Deputy Director of CEF, and the session was moderated by Mr. Basil Awad, Economic Analyst at CEF.
This webinar presented the IMF's latest assessment of the economic outlook and risks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with a focus on spillovers from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on the MENA economies. Mr. Giovanni Melina and Mr. John Bluedorn (both IMF-MCD Deputy Division Chiefs) discussed how prolonged hostilities could intensify downside risks to growth, fuel inflationary pressures, and further constrain already limited fiscal space. They underscored the need for well-calibrated, agile, and credible macroeconomic and structural policy responses to safeguard stability. Mr. Cheikh Ahmed Diop (IsDB Lead Economist) contributed to the discussion by providing additional perspectives on the regional outlook.
The interactive Q&A session engaged a diverse audience from the Arab world, comprised of public sector officials, academics, and representatives of the business community, civil society, and other international organizations.
For further details or to access the event materials, please refer to the following links:
