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A report by the National Bank of Kuwait revealed real GDP growth of 0.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2018, following an improvement in the first quarter after the recovery of non-oil activities, offsetting the decline in oil production. Non-oil GDP grew by 4.9 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year, boosted by good performance in telecom, manufacturing and utility sectors.
The report forecasts growth rates of 2.8 percent for non-oil activity and 2.5 percent for oil production in 2018 in general, leading to a 2.6 percent increase in gross domestic product (GDP).
According to the report, there are continuing concerns about expectations of increased oil production ahead of the US sanctions on Iran next November.

Source: (Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, edited)