Another deficit is likely, but it will be in line with EU standards, say Saudi ministers keen to keep investing in the Kingdom's economic diversification away from oil and towards Vision 2030
With subsidies still being paid, the budget deficit has ballooned from $45bn in 2024 to an expected $62bn next year. This largesse worries some, but apparently not the government
Damascus has artificially lowered prices for years, but Syrians today cannot afford basics like fuel without them, meaning its budget has become a delicate balancing act
A big rise in spending in nominal terms says much more about the collapse of the pound than government spending power, as it continues to drop subsidies, including on fuel, deepening poverty rates
In one of the first major economic forecasts since the US president waged his tariff war, the IMF has downgraded growth forecasts, much to the chagrin of countries still reeling from past crises
After the euphoria of liberation has worn off, Syrians are now confronted with the daunting task of rebuilding a country ripped apart by a decade-long war. It will be a long road, but there is hope.
Uncle Zezo, Uncle Mickey, and Dr Alloush perform in displacement shelters and hospitals, striving to restore fragments of a joy last felt in 2023. Al Majalla meets them.