Purchase OBG Publications

North Africa has been through a turbulent few years following the Arab Spring, although the region’s economies have navigated the subsequent challenges in very different ways. While exogenous pressures have constrained policy flexibility and fiscal space, the region’s long-term fundamentals are robust. Growth rates remain stable and new reforms are attracting capital into secondary and tertiary sectors.

As evidenced by Sarawak’s positive performance across a variety of subsectors, its economy is already among the most diversified in Malaysia, even before the impending wave of industrial projects begins to contribute. Financial incentives and substantial investments in infrastructure appear to have generated considerable international interest from a range of industries.

Jordan’s stable political environment, as well as the robust growth projections for its economy, should ensure near term investment inflows continue to fuel growth across the board; however, regional instability has been having a negative impact on the country’s tourism sector and rising refugee numbers are putting increased pressure on state services.

Vietnam has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in South-east Asia, offering a number of attractive investment opportunities in manufacturing, finance, construction, telecoms and logistics. Its diverse economy is expected to deliver growth of between 6% and 10% annually over the next 5-10 years, supported by a large population of over 95m.

Sharjah is the UAE’s third-largest emirate with a population of almost 800,000 and a GDP of roughly $24bn. Government focus on education programmes and the development of a diversified economic base has helped support Sharjah’s robust growth in recent years while its relatively small oil and gas reserves mean the emirate has been less affected than many by the oil price-induced turbulence witnessed over the past two years.