Resilient Gulf unlikely to boost resource-poor economies

The Gulf economies are on course to grow at a decent pace this year, but the boost to their resource-poor neighbours is likely to be limited. Trade and investment links are surprisingly small. Instead, the one channel through which the resource-poor countries are likely to benefit is via aid from the Gulf, which should help these economies to stave off full-blown balance of payments crises. But the flip side is that these funds may only delay much-needed economic and institutional reforms.