The Middle East

Activity in Saudi Arabia’s capital markets is expected to increase next year, as companies look to broaden their corporate base and support expansion programmes by going public or seeking funds from bond markets.

Increasing demand for schools and universities from both expatriates and nationals is paving the way for growth in Dubai’s education sector.

Air traffic is rising steadily in Kuwait as the state continues to capitalise on growing volumes of international travellers, buoyed by heightened regional activity.

As Oman looks to tap further into its maturing fields, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques the country has been instrumental in pioneering are playing an increasingly central role. Ensuring steady-to-rising output levels in the hydrocarbons sector will help insulate the Sultanate from the effects of any sustained decline in global oil prices.

With plentiful supplies of natural gas, Qatar has over the years looked for alternatives to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, from investments in industrial facilities to value-added processing. One increasingly viable option is the manufacturing of gas-to-liquid (GTL) products, which are enjoying growing demand by the global marketplace.

A number of new health care facilities in Abu Dhabi are under development, financed by both the public and private sectors, with the latter focused on the provision of specialised health care services.