All Countries and All Sectors

A diplomatic approach towards regional issues has strengthened Malaysia’s efforts to boost trade and investment ties with China, setting the scene for the two countries to roll out an ambitious programme of increased financial cooperation.

With a strong and well established financial services sector, Bahrain’s role in expanding the global reach of sharia-compliant financing looks set to broaden further through three developments firmed up in July. Two new partnerships were announced last month that will expand the number of Islamic Financial Services (IFS) institutions in the kingdom, while an agency already active in the sector is furthering its work to globalise the industry.

Investments in South Africa’s rail services are set to pick up pace thanks to new orders in rolling stock and locomotives, with local service and materials suppliers expected to benefit from a swathe of new projects.

Brunei Darussalam has lost ground in its efforts to promote innovation as a cornerstone for future economic and social development, slipping down the ladder of a comparative survey of innovative practices for the second year running, but the sultanate is positioning itself to rebound strongly in the years to come.

Kuwait is seeing significant activity in its construction sector this year, with contracts worth $17.5bn already signed or on offer. There are also a number of large-scale projects already underway and at the stage of moving from the drawing-board to the development stage, adding further momentum. However, raw material supplies, including cement, are in short supply and could cause delays and cost increases.

Entre los años 2012 y 2013, el Perú experimentó un descenso significativo de la Inversión Extranjera Directa (IED), tendencia que se espera continúe al menos hasta el año 2014. La caída registrada por los precios de los metales es la principal responsable de la disminución de la IED, la cual está afectando principalmente al sector minero.