WASHINGTON, 14th October, 2025 (WAM) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its forecast for the UAE’s real GDP to 4.8% for the current year, compared to its previous projection released in April.
The Fund also projected in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) issued here today that the UAE’s economy will grow by 5% in 2026, which is the same forecast it had announced in April.
According to the WEO, Global growth is projected to slow from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2026, with advanced economies growing around 1.5% and emerging market and developing economies just above 4%.
Growth in the Middle East and Central Asia is projected to accelerate, from 2.6% in 2024 to 3.5% in 2025 and to 3.8% in 2026. Compared with April, the projection for 2025 is revised upward by 0.5 percentage point.
The WEO urged policymakers to restore confidence through credible, transparent, and sustainable policies. Trade diplomacy should be paired with macroeconomic adjustment. Fiscal buffers should be rebuilt. Central bank independence should be preserved. Efforts on structural reforms should be redoubled.