Middle East growth prospects dim on war’s lasting scars

DUBAI — The widening conflict in the Middle East is having broad economic repercussions, according to the International Monetary Fund, which downgraded its growth forecast for the region in a report released Thursday.

The organization now expects real gross domestic product in the Middle East and North Africa to grow 2.1% this year, down from 2.7% in April. The report cited factors including “increased geo-economic fragmentation” and “volatility in commodity prices.”