RIYADH: Kuwait’s non-oil private sector returned to growth in July, with the Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 50.8 from 46.4, while Egypt’s PMI remained in contraction territory for a seventh consecutive month.
The latest S&P Global PMI surveys showed Kuwait’s headline reading moving back above the neutral 50-point threshold for the first time in five months, supported by the resumption of air travel following the reopening of the country’s airspace, which boosted output and new orders.
Kuwait’s improving business conditions align with a broader economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund expects the country’s economy to grow by 3.8 percent in 2026, supported by the unwinding of OPEC+ production cuts and continued non-oil growth, while public investment and structural reforms are expected to further strengthen private sector activity over the medium term.
Andrew Harker, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: “A period of relative calm in late June and early July and a resumption of air travel led to a return to growth in Kuwait’s non-oil private sector at the start of the third quarter of the year, and renewed optimism in the future.
