Global and regional economic trends reveal a post-COVID recovery in Asia, while uncertainty shadows the Arab region amid wars, conflicts, and natural disasters. Modest poverty reductions are expected, yet significant gender disparities remain, highlighting ongoing socioeconomic challenges and political instability.
The 2023–2024 edition of the Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region examines economic developments at global and regional levels. These developments have been influenced significantly by the ongoing war in Ukraine and the continuing uncertainties in the Arab region caused by the wars on Gaza and Lebanon. The global macroeconomic outlook for 2025 is moderately positive, with the post-COVID-19 recovery expected to continue, especially in Asia. The outlook for the Arab region is highly uncertain, and is overshadowed by challenges including wars, conflicts, political instability, socioeconomic challenges and natural disasters. Poverty is projected to decline slowly in the Arab region over the coming years, from a high post-pandemic level. The pursuit of gender equality in the region continues to encounter substantial challenges. In 2024, gender disparities in the Arab region were the highest in the world, with significant disparities in labour-force participation rates between men and women.