Regional socioeconomic trends

The COVID-19 crisis came at a time when the region was already registering low growth performance. In 2019, the slowdown in global demand owing to trade tensions between China and the United States, coupled with the absence of a new production agreement among OPEC+, significantly affected growth in Arab countries. The GDP growth rate decreased from 2.3 per cent in 2018 to 1.9 per cent in 2019, with some disparities among Arab subregions.

Sustainable Development Goals:

No Poverty

Gender Equality

Decent Work and Economic Growth