Oliver Cornock: ALL BLOG POSTS
Leveraging its strategic location, Oman has invested in infrastructure with the goal of becoming a global logistics centre. While the country is less hydrocarbons-rich than its GCC neighbours, diversification efforts are a driving force behind its economic growth. The sultanate’s long-term development strategy, Oman Vision 2020, emphasises industrialisation, privatisation and Omanisation, and resulted in a real GDP growth rate of 3.3% in 2015. At the same time, foreign direct investment inflows have risen from $739m in 2014 to an estimated $822m in 2015.
On Thursday's (19/01/17) newspaper review with BBC World News, OBG Editor-in-Chief Oliver Cornock spoke of the achievements and short fallings of former US president, Barack Obama and the possible changes to be expected under President Trump - who has the lowest poll ratings of any modern president entering the White House. The review also discusses the peace talks being held in Astana, Kazakhstan which brings many of the warring factions in Syria together.
Despite facing a set of extraordinary external and internal challenges over the past several years, the Jordanian economy remained resilient in 2015, with real GDP growth reaching 2.4% that year. The government is working with the IMF to implement fiscal reform policies, supported by low global oil prices, to reduce the kingdom’s fuel import bill, which should have seen GDP growth and major macroeconomic indicators post a moderate improvement in 2016.