Key Developments in the MENA Region: The Week Ahead

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) releases will set the tone for the week, offering real-time insights into business activity across Gulf economies. These indices track output, employment, and new orders, serving as critical benchmarks for policymakers and investors:

• 6 April 2025: Kuwait and Qatar kick off the week with their PMI reports, highlighting trends in manufacturing and services.
• 7 April 2025: Saudi Arabia’s PMI follows, closely watched for signals of progress in its Vision 2030 diversification agenda.

The data will influence central bank deliberations, particularly as oil-dependent economies balance global energy volatility with long-term diversification goals. Investors will also scrutinize the reports to gauge regional resilience amid shifting trade dynamics and decarbonization pressures.

From 7–9 April, Dubai hosts Middle East Energy 2025, a flagship event drawing over 40,000 professionals to tackle the region’s energy challenges. The summit’s agenda spotlights renewable energy integration, grid modernization, and financing models for achieving net-zero targets.

Innovations in carbon capture (CCUS) and hydrogen development will also take center stage, reflecting Gulf states’ dual focus on maintaining fossil fuel relevance while investing in sustainable alternatives.

With MENA countries holding over 50% of global oil reserves, the event underscores the region’s pivotal—and paradoxical—role in the global energy transition.

On 7 April, 2025, the World Bank hosts a retrospective on its decade-long African Higher Education Centers of Excellence initiative. The event evaluates outcomes such as cross-border research partnerships, curriculum modernization, and improved graduate employability across Africa.

While focused on the continent, the findings hold relevance for MENA nations grappling with youth unemployment rates near 25% in countries like Jordan and Tunisia. Strengthening ties with African educational hubs could bolster regional efforts to align workforce skills with emerging sectors like renewable energy and digital technology.

The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) convenes a MENA-focused session in Marseille on 8 April 2025, addressing protracted displacement crises in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine.

Discussions will emphasize remittance flows—a lifeline for fragile economies—and strategies to improve regional coordination on refugee support and labor mobility. With over 15 million displaced individuals in MENA, the session highlights the urgency of policies that balance humanitarian needs with economic stability, particularly as climate change and conflict continue to drive migration.

Kicking off on 6 April 2025 and concluding on the 13th, Saudi Arabia’s inaugural Art Week Riyadh marks a milestone in the kingdom’s cultural transformation.

Spanning eight days, the event features exhibitions by pioneering Saudi artists, a digital arts pavilion exploring Middle Eastern identity in virtual spaces, and large-scale public installations reimagining Riyadh’s urban landscape.

This showcase aligns with Vision 2030’s goal of positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional creative hub, leveraging soft power to diversify its global image beyond oil. The festival also signals growing investor interest in MENA’s art markets, valued at over $400 million annually.

The week’s events reveal a region in transition. Economic resilience hinges on balancing oil revenues with green investments, while education and migration policies must address systemic unemployment and displacement.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s cultural ambitions reflect a broader trend of using creativity to redefine national identities. Together, these themes illustrate MENA’s complex interplay of tradition and innovation—a dynamic that will shape its trajectory in 2025 and beyond.

Keep this guide handy to navigate the critical developments unfolding across the Middle East and North Africa.