Industry

The limestone deposits of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), along with the emirate’s five ports, an airport and good road links to the rest of the UAE and GCC, have enabled the emirate to develop a substantial industrial sector, most notably in ceramics. Indeed, despite facing rising costs and uncertainty in overseas markets, RAK’s flagship industrial manufacturer recently reached a major milestone.

With a large domestic market and a substantial local manufacturing base, Egypt’s auto retail sector is one of the largest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Sales have been hit by the recent political instability and economic slowdown, but pent-up demand is expected to help the recovery accelerate from its currently sluggish pace. This will have a knock-on effect for the manufacturing sector, which is gearing up for resurgence.

Buoyed by high international mineral prices, Ghana’s mining sector continues to post solid growth, with revenues for gold, which remains the country’s biggest export, up by 28% last year. However, concerns are mounting that the government’s plans to overhaul the industry’s tax structure, including the introduction of a new windfall tax, could deter foreign investors.

Malgré un affaiblissement de la demande mondiale d’exportations industrielles, le premier semestre 2012 s’est montré plutôt prometteur pour le secteur minier marocain, soutenu par une hausse graduelle du prix des matières premières. En fait, le secteur a enregistré une augmentation progressive de ses bénéfices au cours des quatre premiers mois de l’année. Pour ce qui est de la suite de l’année, les perspectives sont également positives si on en juge par les nombreuses nouvelles installations – qui concernent à la fois les activités amont et aval- qui voient le jour en ce moment.

Jordan’s mining sector has a promising outlook for the coming year, and not just in the sector’s traditional segments such as phosphate and potash, but in newer areas of extraction as well. As profits for established mining companies grow, so do opportunities in shale oil and uranium extraction.

De la mano del incremento en los precios de las materias primas internacionales, las exportaciones minerales peruanas están creciendo rápidamente, reafirmando el papel clave designado a la industria minera como líder del desarrollo económico del país.