The Middle East

Sentiment in the Turkish construction sector is rising, with contractors seeming confident that some of the momentum lost over the past 12 months will be regained as the government moves to open up several large-scale developments for tender.

The Qatar Central Bank’s (QCB) February takeover of responsibility for licensing and supervising insurance companies, reinsurance companies and insurance intermediaries, part of an effort to streamline doing business in the country, should enhance regulation and level the playing field for insurance companies.

With the ongoing expansion of the port and container terminal at Aqaba and the new terminal at the Queen Alia International Airport, there is a sense of cautious optimism in the kingdom’s transport and logistics sector.

The regulator of Bahrain’s telecommunications sector recently announced plans to unlock additional radio spectrum to improve speed and availability, news that has been much welcomed by sector players. However, how the bands will be allocated and to whom has not been made clear.

The construction industry is looking to a series of projects, combined with increasing demand from the private sector, to generate momentum following a period of minimal growth and thin margins.

A strong performance from Turkey’s banks last year produced a significant rise in total assets and an increase in equity capital, generating impressive growth across the industry. Turkish banks also continued to strengthen their position on the international stage by further diversifying their services, with a number of financial institutions extending their reach into the growing Islamic financial services segment.