The Middle East

The Omani government is taking steps to ensure greater food security, identifying self-sufficiency in production and cost stabilisation as its major goals. With food costs on the rise throughout the region, officials hope new strategies will curb price volatility and assuage public concern over rising living expenses.

Saudi Arabia is looking to further open up its IT sector as part of a broader strategy to develop a knowledge-based society and economy. However, the rapid inroads being made by new technologies may require the state to step up investment in digital infrastructure and hasten its regulatory processes.

Taking stock of the latest spending on infrastructure, the Ministry of Public Works gave a boost to Kuwait’s construction sector in December 2010 when it announced that billions of dollars worth of projects were currently under way, with even more set to follow in the new year.

In an effort to satisfy a growing appetite for energy, Jordan is working to wean itself off costly imported oil and make better use of its own resources. The country hopes to attract $14bn in investments in energy infrastructure, including the construction of a nuclear reactor scheduled to come on stream in 2018, and efforts focused on developing renewables and oil shale.

Abu Dhabi’s industrialists, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and contractors have received welcome news with the announcement that the Shah natural gas project is back on track following the signing of a deal with a new foreign partner.

Oman’s real estate sector is slowly regaining momentum after more than a year of reduced activity. The increase in demand is being seen in a number of sectors whilst oversupply in others has resulted in weaker take-up, although this could soon be overcome as the impact of a massive government investment programme starts to be felt more acutely.