With one or two exceptions, the Arab countries of the Middle East fall neatly into two categories; those that export hydrocarbons and those that export labour.

While the first group now faces the threat of a prolonged period of low oil prices, the second has to grapple with the prospect of a decline in remittance flows from expatriates, whether they work in the wealthier oil-producing parts of the region or elsewhere in the world.

Workers abroad send money back home