The Middle East

Following a year of pandemic-related disruptions, there appears to be a greater focus on sustainable, digital and health-related projects; for example, in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which the UAE is one of the key participants in the Middle East. Launched in 2013, the BRI is an ambitious international initiative that aims to revive ancient Silk Road trade routes...

The emirate of Sharjah has worked to brand itself as a unique place within the UAE and the wider GCC, which has resulted in an uptick in work for contractors as they try to close the gap in supply and demand for real estate, especially in the residential segment and for other family-friendly infrastructure. Although the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted the market, mixed...

Many emerging markets are turning to infrastructure projects to stimulate recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on green and sustainable developments. Despite the broader downturn in 2020 – which the IMF says resulted in the global economy contracting by 3.5% – the number of newly announced infrastructure projects increased by 5%, according to analysis...

From national lockdowns to closed airspace and borders, Covid-19 resulted in unprecedented disruption to the mechanics of most economies, regardless of their size or stage of development. In particular, such barriers placed a major strain on global supply chains. This was felt most keenly in the case of essential linkages for food and medicine, and the global distribution of...