Entries for 'Saudi Arabia'

Overall growth is set to decelerate, dragged down by stagnant oil production while non-oil real GDP growth will remain robust. The current account and fiscal surpluses will narrow in 2023 due to moderation in oil prices. The authorities have made significant progress in implementing crucial reforms.

Investor sentiment towards oil exporters in the region will remain favorable due to elevated energy prices. Total capital inflows will remain modest in 2023, as sovereigns’ issue less debt due to continued fiscal surpluses. FDI will become the main conduit for nonresident capital inflows.

We expect oil prices to average $101/b in 2022 and $85/b in 2023. However, the range of uncertainty remains large, including the extent of production cuts in Russia and in major OPEC members, the impact of the G7 oil price cap, and the prospects of nuclear agreement with Iran.

Sanctions on Russia combined with supply shortages elsewhere may keep oil prices elevated despite lower global demand. Higher global oil supply combined with weaker demand growth could stabilize the oil market in H2 2022 and in 2023

The result of higher oil prices is a shift in purchasing power from oil consumers to producers. Oil exporters are getting a boost to their terms of trade, leading to wider CA and fiscal surpluses. Higher energy prices will hurt several EMDEs that remain heavily dependent on petroleum imports.

The MENA region has weathered the economic storm from the health crisis. The economic recovery continues to gain momentum. Higher energy prices will improve the fiscal and current account positions in oil exporters. In oil importers, deficits, government debt, and unemployment will remain high. 

The vaccine program and higher oil prices will support the recovery. Speakers agreed that significant progress has been made in implementing the kingdom’s economic and social reform agenda. However, they underscored the need for deeper structural reforms to support diversification and growth. 

GCC authorities took forceful steps to mitigate the fallout from COVID-19, and we expect a modest recovery in 2021 supported by higher oil prices. However, the region confronts an ongoing exodus of expats and decelerating growth of capital stock, underscoring the need for broad structural reforms.

The kingdom has seen a limited impact of the pandemic due to its low share of services and young population. Non-oil real GDP will grow by 3% in 2021 following a contraction of 2.7% in 2020. The fiscal deficit will narrow to 4% of GDP in 2021, supported by fiscal consolidation and higher oil prices.

Sovereigns are increasingly tapping capital markets to finance fiscal deficits. Private inflows to the MENA region continue to be dominated by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. Resident outflows are declining but still exceed inflows. FDI remains subdued and concentrated in the energy sector. 

We expect the economy to contract by 5.2% in 2020 and grow by 2.3% in 2021, driven mainly by the non-oil private sector. The Kingdom responded to COVID-19 and the plunge in oil prices with major fiscal consolidation, but deep structural reforms are needed to raise potential non-oil growth. 

We project a deep recession in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the plunge in oil prices. Saudi Arabia can accommodate widening deficits given its large financial buffers and low debt. 
 

Russia’s fiscal breakeven oil price, around $40/bbl in 2020, is the lowest among major oil exporters. While Saudi Arabia’s fiscal and external breakeven prices should decline due to a cut in non-priority spending and a fall in imports, fiscal breakeven prices remain well above $60 in much of MENA. 

Our MENA growth forecast stands at -0.3% with additional downside risks and high uncertainty over the duration of the shutdown and an additional potential fall on oil prices. We project recession in most oil exporters, the lowest growth in oil importers since the early 1990s, and wide twin deficits. 

We have lowered our average Brent oil price assumption by $10/bbl to $54/bbl for 2020 due to lower global demand for oil. Such a decline exposes significant vulnerabilities among MENA oil-exporting countries, especially Oman and Bahrain. External and fiscal positions are expected to weaken.

The extra 0.5 mbd cut may not be enough to rein in projected oversupply in 2020, since the OPEC+ bloc has already made cuts well beyond the 1.2 mbd target of the previous agreement. Consequently, we expect a decline in average Brent oil prices to $60 a barrel in 2020.

Lower government spending has decreased medium-term fiscal vulnerabilities to lower oil prices. As the PIF is taking a leading role in public investments, capital expenditures in the budget have declined significantly. Despite fiscal headwinds, non-oil growth is expected to remain solid at 2.7%.

We expect non-oil growth to accelerate to 3.0% as private sector confidence improves and the monetary stance eases. However, overall growth will likely drop to 0.5%, dragged down by a significant cut in crude oil production. 

Non-resident capital inflows to the MENA region are projected to rise from $165bn last year to $200bn in 2019 before moderating to $173bn in 2020. With the increasing inflows, inclusion into global indices, and ongoing reforms, the MENA region is becoming more prominent on the EM investment map. 
 

We expect growth in the MENA region to slow to 1.4% in 2019 from 1.8% in 2018, dragged down by the deep recession in Iran and the compliance with the OPEC + deal. This aggregate picture, however, hides considerable heterogeneity in economic paths across the region.