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Falling oil puts Mideast growth outlook at risk -IMF

Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:13am EDT

DUBAI, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund's growth forecast for the Middle East is at risk from rapidly falling oil prices and will be revised downward, Mohsin Khan, director of the Middle East and Central Asia department, said on Monday.

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The IMF's growth forecast for 2009 is premised on oil prices averaging around $100 a barrel, he said.

"I think it will be lower than that," Khan said. "As a result, some of the forecasts will be revised downward, but not by much."

Earlier on Monday, IMF forecast economic growth for the Gulf Arab region would slip to 6.6 percent in 2009 after a forecast 7.1 percent in 2008, and that inflation would ease to 10 percent in 2009 after 11.5 percent in 2008. (Reporting by Thomas Atkins; Editing by Inal Ersan)

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