We will be happy to consider offering financial aid to Egypt if the country is interested and if the Egyptian people agree to such aid, said Dr. Ahmed Masood, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department, during the panel discussion held during the IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East and Central Asia conference and event in Dubai on Monday.

The statement came as a reply to question by CNBC presenter and conference moderator Yousef Gamal Eddine.

Lebanon and Jordan have absorbed immense numbers of refugees, one of the speakers said during the Q-and-A discussion, noting that these countries therefore need a large amount of financial support to cover the influx of people entering the countries.

These statements and responses came during the IMF’s conference and event held on Monday. The event saw the launch of the IMF report titled “GCC Countries amid a Turbulent Global Economy: Options for the Future”. The one-day conference, a collaboration between the Dubai Economic Council (DEC), the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) as well as the IMF, took place in Dubai.