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Despite holding substantial oil reserves, Kuwait is stepping up its efforts to develop alternative sources of energy. In mid-June the government announced it was inviting bids for the construction of Shagaya, a renewable energy park, as part of its plan to generate 15% of its electricity through non-oil sources by 2030.

Long-awaited reforms to Nigeria’s oil industry may be gaining momentum again. Investors are seeking clarity about the new structures to be introduced by the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), now in its fifth year of deliberations. The legislation is expected to increase efficiency and transparency, although some aspects of the code are proving tricky to resolve.

Tout comme de nombreux pays du Moyen Orient et d’Afrique du Nord, le Maroc, désireux d’améliorer l’employabilité des jeunes diplômés tout en développant l’accès à un enseignement supérieur de qualité, encourage une collaboration accrue avec les prestataires étrangers de services éducatifs et un certain nombre d’écoles internationales sont déjà en projet.

Les résultats de la dernière campagne d’exploration en offshore profond au Gabon devraient avoir un impact considérable sur les prochaines attributions de licences du gouvernement dans le bassin gabonais.

New investments in the Philippines’ gaming industry are expected to boost tourism arrivals and bring inbound visitor numbers close to the 10m the government has targeted for the middle of the decade. On the down side, simmering disputes with some neighbours could make this goal harder to achieve and weaken the push to make the country the casino capital of the region.

For some months, concerns have been voiced about the possible emergence of a bubble in the Thai housing market. To help prevent this from occurring, both the central bank and commercial lenders are taking a more cautious stance towards property lending, having learned the lessons of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.