Fears of an arms race amid tensions in the region come alongside ambitious growth plans and hopes to boost living standards

Although Gulf states can't give as much as they did before, there is still a huge need, and they will continue to play a key role in helping out

The countries of the Arab Maghreb Union have ambitious plans for 2024 as they try to return to the kind of robust expansion seen before inflation and global geopolitical turbulence hit.

Obstacles persist in the region amid conflicts, corruption, and uncertainty, but bright spots show how to attract foreign direct investment, including in Morocco and Egypt.

Unstable geopolitics traps money in defence spending and away from economic development to this day, in a pattern that goes back to 1948. Change is needed, with big challenges ahead.