The Middle East

A number of firms are investing in bringing fibre-optic cables all the way to people’s homes – known as fibre-to-the-home (FTTH). An alternative to FTTH is fibre-to-the-building (FTTB), which brings fibre-optic cable to the consumer’s building, but then completes the final distance to individual rooms via copper wire. Although the FTTH/B segment...

As a leading venue for medical research in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia notable areas of focus include fields such as genomics and stem cell treatment. While data suggests that it remains a comparatively minor player on the international stage, there are signs that this is changing as foreign institutions are establishing research initiatives in the...

While the construction industry in many countries may still be in the doldrums, in Saudi Arabia, it is proving to be the driving force behind economic growth. Indeed, the Kingdom is the envy of the region, eyed covetously by contractors elsewhere. All the parts are in place for construction to remain a growing industry over the coming decade....

With plans in the works to inject significant investment into expanding its output of metals, petrochemicals and plastics over the next several years, Saudi Arabia continues to dominate the region’s industrial activity. This should keep the Kingdom at the forefront of the world’s industrial exporters, at a time when global...

Over the past five years, a spotlight has been cast on the Saudi education system as the government has renewed its efforts to improve a sector that is crucial to the Kingdom’s long-term social and economic development plans. Education accounted for approximately 24% of the government’s entire planned budget for 2012 and 26% the previous year....