A combination of continued production cuts and an increase in economic activity has prompted oil prices to return to pre-pandemic levels – a factor that will be crucial to the recovery of major oil-producing countries in the Middle East and Africa. Brent crude prices rose above $60 a barrel in early February, the first time they had exceeded pre-Covid-19 values. They have since continued to rise, going above $66 a barrel on February 24. This increase in oil prices, which soared by 75% from November and by around 26% since the beginning of the year, marks a dramatic change from last year. Following the closure of many national borders and the implementation of travel-related restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, demand for oil slumped globally. In the wake of the Saudi-Russia price war in early 2020, Brent crude prices fell from around $60 a barrel in February […]