DUBAI: GDP growth in the Middle East and North Africa region will slow to 3.1% in 2023, from 5.3% a year ago, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Middle East and Central Asia department director Jihad Azour said on Thursday.

Growth among MENA oil exporters will slow to 3.1% in 2023 from 5.7% in 2022, with the non-hydrocarbon sector expected to be the main driver of growth, Azour told a news briefing.

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Inflation will remain unchanged in 2023 at 15% in the MENA region before declining next year, he added.