Economy

Although Indonesia’s export receipts hit a five-year high in 2018, imports surged as the country moved to deliver a massive infrastructure development programme, bringing the trade deficit to an all-time high after three years of surplus. The country remains dependent on raw commodities for much of its export revenues; global commodity price volatility has weighed on the trade balance in...

While the Republic of Indonesia is just over seven decades old in its current form, the South-east Asian nation of more than 17,000 islands has a much longer history. The name Indonesia was first used in 1850 by British anthropologist James Richardson Logan in reference to the extensive group of islands that was known at the time as the Indian or Malay Archipelago. Archaeological analysis...

As Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city, Jeddah serves as an important commercial centre and is also the setting for a series of important developments currently under way, which will secure its place on the map as a regional economic centre. While Jeddah already boasts the biggest seaport on the Red Sea and is the gateway to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina, it is also set to become home to...

The guide contains listings of some of the leading hotels and resorts in Saudi Arabia as well as contacts for important government offices and services. It also contains useful tips and information for business and leisure visitors alike.

Makkah and Medina are situated in western Saudi Arabia, near the coast of the Red Sea and roughly 350 km apart. The cities are home to Islam’s holiest sites, and are thus important to the religious lives of many of the world’s 1.2bn Muslims. Makkah is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the location of the Masjid Al Haram, also known as the Grand Mosque, which houses the Kaaba, a shrine...