Riyadh airport disruption, IMF cuts, OPEC output and Dubai projects top Middle East business
A Middle East business roundup covers flight suspensions at Riyadh airport, sharp IMF downgrades, rising Saudi and Iraqi oil output, and more than $570bn of Dubai projects.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Saudi Arabia is facing growing economic disruption after deadly attacks on Riyadh's international airport. Most major airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air France, suspended or cancelled flights while the airport remained closed for most of the week. Organisers of the kingdom's flagship investment summit are preparing to let executives attend remotely as safety concerns in the capital remain.
The International Monetary Fund has sharply downgraded its economic forecasts for the Middle East as the war continues to disrupt trade and energy exports. Gulf producers are the hardest hit: - Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar are each forecast to contract by around 16 per cent. - Bahrain is forecast to contract by more than 11 per cent. - Saudi Arabia, helped by alternative export routes, is expected to shrink by 3.3 per cent.
The fund expects a sharp rebound across the region next year. OPEC figures show oil production in Saudi Arabia and Iraq rebounded in September despite the continuing disruption. Saudi output rose by 8.4 million barrels a day, while Iraq's reached 4.4 million. The figures put both at their highest level since the conflict began in February. Analysts say more attacks on shipping this month have put the rise in production at risk.
Dubai has announced that projects worth more than 570 billion dollars are underway across the emirate. The investments span property, aviation and infrastructure. They include a major expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport and new aircraft for Emirates and flydubai. Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid said Dubai was building a city within a city as it prepares for a new phase of economic growth.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Dubai announced that projects worth more than 570 billion dollars are underway across the emirate. | |
| Most major airlines suspended or cancelled flights while the airport remained closed for most of the week. | |
| The IMF sharply downgraded its Middle East forecasts as the war disrupted trade and energy exports. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News ran a compact, market-focused business roundup that tied the Riyadh airport closure to airline suspensions and remote attendance at a flagship investment summit. It then moved quickly through IMF forecasts, OPEC output and Dubai's project pipeline, with a factual tone and little wider political context. The Dubai item was framed in growth terms, including the ruler's city within a city line.
- “Saudi Arabia is facing growing economic disruption following deadly attacks on Riyadh's international airport.”
- “The international monetary fund has sharply downgraded its economic forecasts for the Middle East as the war continues to disrupt trade and energy exports.”
- “Dubai has announced that projects worth more than 570 billion dollars are underway across the emirate.”
Who was on air
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- 03:25 BST
Broadcast Timeline
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