The Middle East

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to Oxford Business Group about his country’s economic rise

Despite having to weather a combination of regional instability, domestic volatility and a hotly contested election season last year, Turkey’s economy began 2014 with a surprisingly strong performance.

Efforts to strengthen Bahrain’s digital economy will begin in earnest next year when the kingdom launches a major upgrade of its broadband internet infrastructure.

While Jordan’s economy remains weighed down by a number of challenges, the banks continue to perform strongly, with intended new measures expected to provide a further boost to the industry.

Qatar is well on the way to becoming one of the world’s leading producers of chemical fertilisers, steadily developing new capacity and new markets as it works to diversify its economy away from its primary dependence on energy sales. However, rising production levels across the Gulf region and an increasingly competitive global market may limit returns in the medium term.

Kuwait is to broaden its energy production, launching the first step in an extensive renewable energy programme intended to ease reliance on hydrocarbons while at the same time building awareness of the commercial and investment opportunities offered by solar energy.