Global economy braced for a challenging 2020

After a year in which global business was buffeted by macroeconomic concerns and geopolitical factors, the outlook for 2020 is likely to be dominated by the very same considerations.

However, with a presidential election looming in the US and a host of “black swans” (such as the killing on Friday of Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general) on the international horizon, the potential for further economic volatility is, arguably, greater than in 2019.

For the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, the challenge will be to maintain economic growth while simultaneously staging the big events planned for this year — the G20 gathering of world leaders in Riyadh in November and the Dubai Expo at about the same time.