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Saudi Tourism Minister Announces Launch of Second Edition of TOURISE Forum in March

Tourists are seen at Saudi Arabia's AlUla. (SPA)
Tourists are seen at Saudi Arabia's AlUla. (SPA)
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Saudi Tourism Minister Announces Launch of Second Edition of TOURISE Forum in March

Tourists are seen at Saudi Arabia's AlUla. (SPA)
Tourists are seen at Saudi Arabia's AlUla. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the TOURISE Forum Board Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced on Wednesday the launch of the second edition of the “TOURISE 2027” Forum, under the theme “Alliances That Move the World,” to be held in Riyadh from March 23 to 25, 2027.

The forum, held under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, brings together leading figures from the tourism, technology, investment, sustainability, culture and transport sectors from around the world to discuss the key opportunities and challenges facing these sectors and help shape the next phase of global tourism.

The forum comes as Saudi Arabia presents a prominent example of what can be achieved in the tourism sector as an integrated economic ecosystem. The Kingdom surpassed its initial target of welcoming 100 million visitors annually in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule, and raised its ambition to 150 million visitors annually by 2030.

The TOURISE Forum serves as an attractive platform for investment. Its inaugural edition last year succeeded in catalyzing investments worth $113 billion, spanning destinations, hotels, retail, talent development and AI-powered platforms, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can turn ambition into investment and practical action.

The theme of the forum’s second edition, “Alliances That Move the World,” underscores the importance of forging alliances that transcend sectors, borders and business fields, connecting tourism with capital, technology and infrastructure to unlock investment opportunities, accelerate innovation and facilitate the traveler experience, supporting a more growing, sustainable and inclusive global tourism economy.

Minister Al-Khateeb said: “No single destination, company or organization will shape the future of tourism. Rather, it will be determined by the strength of the alliances we build together. Saudi Arabia has witnessed first-hand what can be achieved when ambitions, investments and strategic partnerships come together.”

“Through the second edition of the TOURISE Forum, we are inviting the world to Riyadh to build the alliances that will shape the next 50 years of the tourism sector,” he added.

The Ministry of Tourism announced the first group of speakers for the 2027 edition, comprising leading figures from the tourism, hospitality, technology and destination development sectors. They will showcase their organizations’ contributions to facilitating travel, tourism and mobility, as well as the most promising areas for investment in the global tourism sector.

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Business

IMF Expects Middle East Economies to Rebound to 6.6% Growth in 2027

Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) attends a press conference at the IMF/World Bank 2026 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., US, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) attends a press conference at the IMF/World Bank 2026 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., US, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
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IMF Expects Middle East Economies to Rebound to 6.6% Growth in 2027

Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) attends a press conference at the IMF/World Bank 2026 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., US, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) attends a press conference at the IMF/World Bank 2026 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., US, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

The International Monetary Fund expects the economies of the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan to rebound to growth of 6.6 percent in 2027, following a projected contraction of 1.3 percent this year, amid the economic fallout from the regional war and disruptions to energy production and trade, which have affected countries across the region to varying degrees.

Jihad Azour, the IMF's director for the Middle East and Central Asia, said economies directly affected by the conflict are facing severe pressures, while other economies in the region, along with most countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia, have shown greater resilience.

He explained that the path of the recovery will depend largely on how quickly energy production and trade return to normal and on countries’ ability to maintain macroeconomic stability.

The forecasts come after the economies of the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan grew by 3.3 percent in 2025, illustrating the scale of the shock expected this year before a strong rebound next year.

Azour stressed, however, that the overall projections mask significant disparities among the region’s economies and that the recovery will not be uniform across countries.

Oil Exporters and Importers

Azour said oil-exporting countries directly affected by disruptions to energy production and trade will experience a marked contraction in 2026, although higher oil prices will provide some support to their fiscal and external positions.

A gradual recovery in production and trade is expected to drive a strong rebound in GDP growth in 2027, although output levels will remain below the trajectory projected before the outbreak of the conflict.

By contrast, economic activity in the region’s oil-importing countries has remained relatively resilient during 2026 and is expected to continue doing so. Workers’ remittances, tourism revenues, favorable financial conditions and government support have helped cushion the immediate impact of the shock, although the policy space available to governments is narrowing.

The IMF expects inflation in these economies to rise moderately in 2026 before gradually easing thereafter.

The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman on October 13, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Lower Inventories, Greater Risks

Azour noted that the impact of the energy shock has been less severe than initial estimates suggested, thanks to surpluses accumulated before the war, production by non-Gulf countries, alternative transportation routes, adjustments in demand and drawdowns from inventories.

He cautioned, however, that these factors have provided time for adjustment but are not sustainable resources. Available inventories have declined and spare production capacity has narrowed, leaving markets more vulnerable to larger price increases should disruptions recur.

Azour identified a prolonged war as the most significant risk to the outlook, warning that further disruptions to energy production, shipping routes or critical infrastructure would weaken economic activity among Gulf oil exporters, increase inflationary pressures and exacerbate fiscal and external strains across the region.

He also warned that tighter global financial conditions could weaken demand, raise borrowing costs and increase pressure on currencies, particularly in economies with substantial sovereign debt-financing needs or a heavy reliance on external financing.

Low-income and fragile economies remain the most vulnerable to these risks because of their dependence on food imports and limited fiscal space, at a time when official development assistance is also declining.

Call for Targeted Support and Rebuilding Fiscal Buffers

Azour urged policymakers to prioritize price stability and fiscal sustainability, using monetary policy as the first line of defense when inflationary pressures emerge, complemented by prudent fiscal policy, particularly in countries with limited financial resources.

He stressed the importance of rebuilding fiscal buffers to withstand future shocks by strengthening domestic revenues, improving spending efficiency and developing stronger fiscal frameworks. He cautioned against broad-based subsidies, favoring instead temporary and targeted cash assistance for the groups most affected, helping keep the cost of intervention within budgetary limits.

Over the longer term, Azour emphasized the importance of strong institutions, credible monetary frameworks and central bank independence, alongside greater trade diversification, deeper regional integration and a stronger capacity to adopt new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to boost productivity and support growth.

Azour noted that the IMF has approved approximately $48 billion in financing for countries in the region since 2020. During fiscal year 2026, it also carried out around 437 technical assistance and capacity-building projects in 31 countries.

The IMF is scheduled to release its full regional report in Dubai on October 22, providing a more detailed assessment of economic developments and policy priorities.

Business

Gold Rebounds from One-week Low as Dollar Slips

Gold bracelets and necklaces on display for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
Gold bracelets and necklaces on display for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
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Gold Rebounds from One-week Low as Dollar Slips

Gold bracelets and necklaces on display for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
Gold bracelets and necklaces on display for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)

Gold prices climbed 1% on Thursday, rebounding from a one-week low hit in the previous session as the US dollar eased, while investors assessed the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate increase this month after a hot inflation report.

Spot gold rose 1% to $4,146.74 per ounce by ‌0501 GMT, after hitting ‌its lowest since October 7 on Wednesday. ‌US ⁠gold futures for December ⁠delivery gained 1.5% to $4,167.30.

The dollar slipped after scaling an 18-month peak overnight. A softer dollar makes greenback-priced bullion more affordable for buyers overseas.

"What we're seeing here is just the symptoms of a market uncertain about US interest rate policy, and that is resulting in a bit of volatility," said Kyle Rodda, senior ⁠financial market analyst at Capital.com.

"We're coming up to ‌a really critical level for ‌gold, which is just below the $4,000 level. If we see, again, some ‌really strong data, then there's a view that the Fed ‌will have to hike relatively urgently, then that will be the level of focus."

US consumer prices accelerated in September as the cost of gasoline surged. Traders are pricing in about a 29% chance of ‌a rate hike later this month, compared with 22% before the data, according to CME's FedWatch ⁠Tool.

San Francisco ⁠Fed President Mary Daly said the US central bank will probably need to increase short-term interest rates further, though she signaled no need for a hike at the October 27-28 meeting. Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said there's time to wait and see before any more action.

Although gold is viewed as an inflation hedge, higher interest rates reduce its appeal because it does not pay interest.

Market focus now turns to the Producer Price Index (PPI) and retail sales data due at 1230 GMT.

Among other metals, spot silver gained 0.7% to $56.01, platinum rose 1% to $1,608.20 and palladium climbed 1.3% to $1,108.14.

Business

IMF Plans Mission to Lebanon in November

A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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IMF Plans Mission to Lebanon in November

A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

IMF officials held good discussions with Lebanese authorities this week that will continue in coming weeks, with ‌IMF staff ‌to visit ‌the ⁠country in November, a ⁠senior IMF official said on Thursday.

Athanasios Arvanitis, deputy ⁠director of the ‌IMF's ‌Middle East and ‌Central Asia ‌Department, said the focus of the discussions had been ‌on the banking sector and ⁠ensuring ⁠that the Lebanese people had confidence in the system, Reuters reported.

Restoring debt sustainability was another key issue, Arvanitis said.