GCC fiscal resilience and macroeconomic stability during the Iran war

The podcast explores the macroeconomic implications of the ongoing Middle East conflict for GCC economies, focusing on fiscal resilience and stability. Panelists examine the main macroeconomic costs, including disruptions to trade, logistics, and financial conditions. The discussion highlights the varying risk factors among Gulf states, based on geography, financial buffers, and debt ratios, and touches on the potential impacts on unemployment and inflation. Opportunity costs are considered in terms of delayed investments and structural reforms, with a call for targeted and timely policy measures. The role of sovereign wealth funds and the implications of the dollar peg on monetary policies are also addressed, alongside the need for economic integration across the GCC.