Middle East Experience

Debt levels, unemployment and budget deficits will spike as the Middle East endures a coronavirus-led recession, piling pain on economies already hit by conflicts and an oil price slump, the IMF said Wednesday.Almost all countries in the Middle East and North Africa will see their economies contract as they lose hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues, the global lender said.“The COVID-19 pandemic and the plunge in oil prices are causing significant economic turmoil in the region ... the impact could be long lasting,” the International Monetary Fund said in its Regional Economic Outlook for April.“While there is considerable uncertainty around the depth and duration of the crisis, this pandemic will compound the region’s unemployment problem and worsen the already high public and external debt.”In its World Economic Outlook released on Tuesday, the IMF projected the MENA economy to contract by 3.3 percent in 2020, the biggest slump in four decades.It said the combined shocks of the virus and low oil prices will shave off $323 billion, or 12 percent, of the Arab world’s economy - $259 billion of that from the energy-dependent Gulf states alone.Arab governments’ debt will rise by 15 percent or $190 billion this year to reach $1.46 trillion, according to the IMF data, as the cost of borrowing jumps due to tightening financial conditions.Oil prices at these levels could result in more than $230 billion in lost annual revenue by Arab oil exporters plus Iran, it said.The fiscal deficit for the region is expected to deteriorate from 2.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2019 to 10 percent of GDP this year.To mitigate the impact, regional nations should bolster social safety nets, and provide temporary and targeted tax relief and subsidies, while monetary and financial policies should ensure liquidity in the system, the IMF said.“Governments could consider reorienting spending priorities, for example by reducing or delaying non-essential expenditures, or seeking external financing support or aid,” it said.“A mishandling of the outbreak could elevate distrust in local governments, sowing seeds for further social unrest and adding to regional uncertainty.”Arab countries ravaged by years of bloody conflicts, including Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Libya, have already seen their economies battered, leading to widespread poverty.The economies of these countries are expected to be hit particularly hard by the pandemic, the IMF said.Read more:GCC economies to record negative real GDP growth in 2020: IMFCoronavirus ‘Great Lockdown’ likely to cause worst recession in a century: IMFCoronavirus may be biggest crisis since World War II: IMF
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Middle East unemployment to spike amid regional recession, says IMF

Egyptian production teams are racing against time to complete the TV shows they hope will bring some Ramadan cheer to Egyptian and Arab audiences during the crisis.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: The show must go on: Egypt's Ramadan soap operas defy COVID-19

Emirates have introduced coronavirus blood tests for passengers, a first for airlines, the company said in a tweet on Wednesday.The blood tests are being conducted in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), with results available in 10 minutes. Dubai and the wider UAE have been in widespread lockdown with the airport closed. Flights have only recently begun to resume out of the emirate for individuals looking to return home.“We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights, this will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers travelling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates,” the airline’s Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said in a statement.On Tuesday, Al Arabiya English reported that Emirates had begun to offer ticket options for customers to travel into Dubai.“Currently some of our flights are available for booking from May 1. However, the situation remains dynamic and these flight services could be subject to change. We aim to provide our customers with as much notice as possible should there be any changes,” an Emirates spokesperson said.It is currently unclear when government restrictions on passengers will lift. The UAE has temporarily banned visas on arrival for all nationalities and banned its citizens from traveling outside the country.New ticket optionsEarlier on Tuesday, the airline announced new options for travelers who have flight tickets issued before May 31 for travel before August 31, allowing them to either keep, exchange, or request a full refund for the tickets.Customers who keep the ticket can rebook the flight for within two years from the day the ticket was originally issued.Travel vouchers are valid for one year from the date the voucher was issued and are valid for any Emirates product or service, which means customers can use them to offset charges for flights to any destination in any cabin class, or other services.The refund option is available if customers are unable to travel and will be applied without penalties.Read more:Coronavirus: Emirates starts selling air tickets to Dubai from May 1Coronavirus: Emirates airlines offers new options to keep, exchange or refund ticketsCoronavirus: Emirates announces limited flights to Chicago, Manila, Tunis, others
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE's Emirates airline conducts tests on all passengers

Egyptian security forces launched a campaign of arrests against human rights activists, politicians and left-wing activists who had been calling for the release of prisoners in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Calls for release of prisoners grow in Egypt despite arrest campaign

Saudi Arabia reports six new coronavirus deaths and 493 new infections, raising the virus-related death toll in the Kingdom to 79 and the total number of confirmed cases to 5,862, the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The six new deaths are all of people who had chronic illnesses before they were infected with the virus.They include two Saudi Arabian men in Medina who were between the ages of 70 and 72, a 67-year-old Saudi Arabian woman in Mecca, and three residents who were between the ages of 35 and 57, the ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali during the daily coronavirus press conference held in Riyadh.Out of the 493 new cases, 109 were reported in Medina, 86 in Hufof, 84 in Dammam, 69 in Jeddah, 56 in Riyadh, and 40 in Mecca.Despite having the highest number of cases in the Arabian Gulf, the rate of daily increase in the Kingdom has been more steady than its neighbors since April 9.However, Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah warned that cases in Saudi Arabia could reach up to 200,000 within weeks, four different studies showed.Also read: Coronavirus: Thermal drones monitor body temperatures in Saudi Arabia’s al-BahahThere is no evidence on how hotter weather could affect the coronavirus, al-Abd al-Ali had said on Tuesday, adding that people should refrain from believing rumors they hear.Lifting the lockdown too early may have negative effects and the ministry has continued to assess the situation daily to determine when restrictions will be lifted, he added.The ministry spokesman emphasized the urgent need for citizens and residents to remain at home and maintain social distancing practices to ensure that the virus does not spread further.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia reports six new fatalities, 493 new infections

Eight factories in Saudi Arabia have been producing 3.7 million face masks weekly to help protect citizens and residents from the coronavirus, the Saudi Food & Drug Authority said on Wednesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Concerns about a worldwide shortage of sanitizers, face masks, and ventilators – all essential in the fight against COVID-19 – has pushed the Kingdom to increase its efforts to locally produce these items.A total of 49 factories in Saudi Arabia produce more than 1.5 million liters of sanitizers, the authority’s spokesperson said, adding that the government agency supports the local drug industry.Saudi Arabia had stopped exporting all medical devices since the pandemic broke out in the country to ensure hospitals in the Kingdom were equipped to handle a large number of patients.Saudi Arabia has reported 5,862 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 79 virus-related deaths.Earlier this month, several media outlets reported that Saudi Arabia was on the verge of locally producing 1,000 ventilators per week.“The government of Saudi Arabia has done a lot and has given priority to citizens and their safety and it is the duty of the private sector to contribute and provide its capabilities to support the state and protect citizens and the country,” Abdulrahman al-Ubaid, the head of the National Industrial Committee within the Council of Saudi Chambers, told al-Riyadh newspapers.Al Arabiya’s Ismaeel Naar contributed to this report. Read more: Coronavirus: With 15,000 cases in the Gulf, here is how GCC states are copingCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia cases could reach 200,000 within weeks, says minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabian factories produce 3.7 mln masks weekly

Dubai authorities have been isolating citizens returning from abroad for 14 days in luxury properties before they are permitted to re-enter society as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic.Bushra Rahoumi, commander of Dubai City National Emergency Response Volunteer Program, says most of those who are repatriated are students or citizens who were abroad for treatment.“We try to provide all their demands, whether on the matters of health or education to make it (quarantine) easier for them, like a home that meets all their needs and so they don’t feel that they are in an isolated or restricted place,” said Rahoumi.Also read: UAE turns Dubai World Trade Centre into hospital for 3,000 patientsThe UAE has officially recorded 4521 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths from the respiratory disease.“People whose safety has been assured are sometimes permitted to leave, with a guarantee that they will follow the instructions of self-quarantine in their homes,” Rahoumi added. Asmaa al-Shehh, a guest at one of the five-star hotels which were turned into isolation centers, said she was in London to visit her daughter when she received a call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.“I [originally] refused to return, but after the situation got worse, we decided to return. Today is our ninth day (in quarantine) and today we will return home,” al-Shehh said.With AFP
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Dubai’s five-star hotels turned into isolation centers

There is great skepticism in Iraqi society and in the media about the government’s statistics of how many people have been infected by and died from the coronavirus.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Cloud of doubt surrounds coronavirus figures reported by Iraqi government

Gazan artists use masks, sand sculptures and performance art to create awareness on social isolation and protection during the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gazan medical masks make a statement

Rabbi Rinat Schwartz will hold her Mimouna celebration on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and is inviting the public to join via Zoom or Facebook.;
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Virtual Mimouna: A social distancing alternative way to celebrate