Once it recovers from the economic downturn instigated by the coronavirus pandemic, Bahrain will likely need "an urgent fiscal adjustment," Ali Al-Eyd, the fund's Bahrain mission chief, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged Bahrain to implement fiscal reforms and lower its public debt, which increased sharply last year as the coronavirus crisis hurt the small oil-producing Gulf state.

Bahrain's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be gradual, with growth projected at 3.3% this year after a 5.4% contraction in 2020, the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday.

An indirect message was addressed to Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and his economic team. It neither came from a theocrat nor a socialist, but from the head of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde: Stop using global consultancy firms.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde has deferred a planned trip to the Middle East, which included a stop in Riyadh to attend an investment conference, the IMF said in a statement on Tuesday.

The International Monetary fund (IMF) expected on Sunday (July 15, 2018) that Bahrain’s growth is to decelerate over the medium term due to the large and growing debt bill. IMF said that reserves remain low, covering only 1.5 months of prospective non-oil imports at end 2017.

Bahrain’s cash-strapped government is in talks with parliament on a new subsidy system that would redirect some of the financial aid the government provides to its citizens, officials said.

The International Monetary Fund predicted that the Bahraini economy will grow to $40 billion in 2019 with an estimated annual growth of 3% this year and 2% in gross domestic product next year.

Bahrain needs to accelerate reforms to its state budget to reach a deficit level that would make its finances sustainable over the medium term, an International Monetary Fund official said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expected that Bahrain’s GDP will not increase more than 2.3% in 2019.

The direct economic and financial impact for Qatar as a result of the diplomatic boycott with some Arab states is fading, according to a report from the International Monetary Fund.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar may need more than a year and a half to introduce an agreed 5 percent value added tax (VAT) rate, said an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official.

Bloomberg, the economic news website, said in a report that emerging-market money managers are looking to identify countries that might run into trouble down the road.

The IMF on Tuesday advised energy-rich Gulf economies to speed up their diversification away from oil after projecting the worst growth for the region since the global financial crisis.

Qatar’s government has acted effectively in protecting the economy against sanctions imposed by other Arab countries, an International Monetary Fund official said on Wednesday after leading an IMF team on a week-long visit to Doha.

Bahrain may need to raise its market interest rates to protect its currency and must refrain from having its central bank lend money to cover the government's budget deficit, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

Bahrain’s foreign-currency reserves tumbled 11 percent in February, extending a decline that has fueled speculation that the island kingdom would either tap international bond markets soon or seek financial support from other Gulf Arab monarchies, Bloomberg revealed.

The British Independent newspaper published a chart in which it indicated that “Iraq, Iran, Oman, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen are among the Middle Eastern countries that could run out of money in less than five years.”

Bahrain Mirror: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that the fiscal deficit of the Bahraini government would reach approximately 15% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during 2016, with the drop of oil prices to lowest rate since 12 years.

Bahrain Mirror (Reuters): The International Monetary Fund on Friday (January 29, 2016) urged Bahrain to take "sizable" steps to reduce its growing budget deficit as slumping oil prices have sharply reduced exports and government revenues.