The Middle East

Business leaders in Jordan are stepping up their calls for government policymakers to consult more closely with them in formulating and implementing economic reforms, stressing the possibility of negative consequences for the private sector.

Growth outpaced expectations in Qatar this past year, while 2014 is widely expected to see an uptick in economic activity, as the non-energy sector further expands on the back of high levels of infrastructure spending and consumer demand.

While growth in Jordan picked up pace in 2013, the external environment continues to weigh on the economy and could slow recovery in 2014.

The government in Oman has been urged to cast its taxation net wider to fund the state’s economic and social welfare programmes, with the need for additional revenue flows likely to become more pressing if global oil prices ease further as some analysts have predicted.

Strong fundamentals underpinned by the hydrocarbons industry and increasing private sector activity point to sustained expansion for Saudi Arabia in 2014, but the economy is showing signs of slowing as the impact of the government’s stimulus package tapers off.

Many of the concerns that had been weighing on Dubai’s economy in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis look to have been laid to rest this past year, with the emirate consolidating its place as a regional centre for tourism, transport, trade and retail, while posting robust growth.