CATEGORY: Economic Snapshots
Over the past five years, Côte d’Ivoire has enjoyed one of the highest economic growth rates in the region. This is down to a combination of factors, including monetary policy stability, significant public investment in infrastructure and, more recently, a recovery in both the agriculture and mining sectors. While there are some headwinds that risk slowing this growth – including low financial intermediation rates, income inequality and a continued dependence on raw commodity exports – Côte d’Ivoire appears to have so far avoided the slowdown that has affected many other economies in the region.
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.