CoinWorld reports that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its *Regional Economic Outlook* in Dubai, UAE. The report states that, due to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, the economies of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan are expected to contract by 1.3% in 2026. Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, predicted that all Gulf Cooperation Council member states except Oman will see their economies contract this year. By contrast, oil-importing economies have shown some resilience, with the IMF citing domestic demand, remittances and tourism revenues as sources of support. The IMF expects economic growth to rebound in 2027 if regional hostilities ease in early 2027, although growth in some economies may remain below pre-conflict projections. The IMF urged countries in the region to prioritize price stability and fiscal sustainability, strengthen their resilience to external shocks, and combine responses to the current crisis with long-term reforms.