Economic Snapshots

Economies around the Gulf region have faced a challenging environment since the second half of 2014, but a more balanced outlook for international oil prices in 2017 has offered welcome relief. The process of fiscal reform that the oil price decline precipitated is, however, set to continue. The restructuring of Abu Dhabi’s public finances has taken into account the federal government’s decision to reduce subsides, and Abu Dhabi’s ambitious plans to broaden the range of economic activity in the emirate have been granted greater clarity with the publication of the latest iteration of its development strategy in 2016.