The Economist Intelligence Unit believes that the ruler, King Abdullah II, will retain his hold on power throughout the outlook period and beyond. The security forces are both loyal and effective, and the threat to political stability is relatively low. The election for the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of parliament) is scheduled for late 2007, but is unlikely to result in an effective parliamentary opposition. The king's strategic alliance with the US will, however, continue to alienate him from much of the Jordanian public. Furthermore, his powers of diplomacy will be tested during the outlook period as he seeks to prevent Jordan from being sucked into conflicts elsewhere in the region. Domestically, the king will dictate policy on most matters, although some of his more reformist policies could be stymied by the conservative forces in parliament. Jordan's fiscal account will stay heavily in deficit, and the government will remain reliant on a dwindling supply of overseas grants for financing. The domestic economy will continue to record solid growth in 2008-09, with investment in real estate and tourism projects driving overall GDP growth. The current-account deficit will stabilise at around US$1.6bn over the outlook period, but as a proportion of GDP it will fall, to a forecast 8.7% in 2009.