LATEST ECONOMIC BRIEFINGS
MALAYSIA | 02.07.2009
Though Malaysia's economy has contracted at a faster rate than previously predicted in the opening months of the year, as the effects of the global recession take their toll, there are signs the worst could be over.
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM | 02.07.2009
One of the key pillars of Vision 2035, the long-term blueprint for the future of Brunei Darussalam, is to encourage investment in downstream industries as well as in economic clusters beyond the oil and gas industry To support this ambitious plan, the state is working to boost the country's transport system and thus allow a more effective transfer of raw materials and goods, while also developing the country as a cargo transit hub for the region.
KUWAIT | 02.07.2009
With massive oil and gas reserves, Kuwait is working on boosting production and upgrading its downstream capabilities. However, how to go about this is dividing opinion.
TURKEY | 02.07.2009
Turkey's economy is still dealing with the effects of the global recession, having seen export markets dry up and domestic demand weaken, though it has avoided a repeat of large-scale financial meltdowns of the past and is expected to return to growth in 2010.
EGYPT | 02.07.2009
With irrigation efforts moving slowly and imports beset by inconsistencies, Egypt has begun to follow its neighbours' lead into overseas farming. In particular, persistently high wheat prices, and the resulting social instability over the price of bread, have motivated the government to seek new sources for the staple. The so-called “land grab”, where rich but infertile nations head to poorer yet arable ones to secure food for their populations, while not unfamiliar, is now happening on an unprecedented scale. Egypt did not embrace the trend as quickly as some of its neighbours, but since the bread riots in spring 2008 the government has announced two such projects in the hopes of providing respite to the price shock of the past year.
COUNTRY COVERAGE
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LATEST PUBLICATIONS
The Report: Tunisia 2009
Tunisians often claim that what their country lacks in natural resources and oil wealth, it makes up for in innovation and brainpower. While it is true that the country has one of the most developed education systems in the region, Tunisia has more resources than its citizens give it credit for. Although its oil production pales in comparison to the massive operations of its neighbours Algeria and Libya, Tunisia has sizeable deposits of natural gas, which help limit its dependency on energy imports. Furthermore, the country’s commodity exports range from iron and phosphate to olive and date products. At the crossroads of Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa, Tunisia’s strategic location has, over two millennia, attracted wave after wave of Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, Arabs, Ottomans and French; that trend continues today, as the republic pulls in investors from all four corners of the globe.
The Report: Senegal 2009
Situated at the crossroads of West Africa and the Maghreb, Senegal is home to a diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities, and its location has allowed the country to position itself as a gateway to Western Africa. While its development was dominated by agricultural production, both the state and the private sector are now capitalising on both the country’s unique geographic location and its stable political situation. These factors are enabling Senegal to position itself as a primary point of entry for goods into the region, and as a platform for regional growth.
The Report: Qatar 2009
With massive reserves of natural gas and an increasingly prominent position in world diplomacy, Qatar has come into the spotlight as a haven of stability in a year of deep economic uncertainty. Besides a strategic location in the Gulf and rich hydrocarbons reserves, the country also boasts progressive social policies that place human capital development at the centre of long-term economic growth. By steering the country towards well-planned diversification and development at a suitable pace, the government, along with the country’s strong population fundamentals, have largely protected Qatar from the deteriorating effects of the global financial crisis.
