The year 2020 saw limited progress towards more sustainable development trajectories in the Middle East. This policy paper takes stock of economic rescue and recovery efforts in the region in the first year of the COVID19- pandemic, with a particular emphasis on large, oil-producing Arab countries. It presents an overview of government rescue and recovery fiscal spending and policies and assesses their contributions to green, resilient and just recoveries. The paper concludes with recommendations on immediate actions that could help governments in the region make the economic recoveries truly sustainable.