Economy

Following a challenging 2016, when the price of Brent Crude dipped briefly below $30 per barrel and governments across the GCC were compelled to significantly adjust their fiscal plans, 2017 has brought the region some respite – both to current accounts and the wider economy. Qatar remained better insulated from the effects of oil price volatility than most countries in the Gulf, owing chiefly...

Since gaining independence in 1971 Qatar has quickly risen to prominence both regionally and internationally to become an economic, political and cultural powerhouse in the Middle East. With a relatively small local population and substantial revenues generated from having the third-largest proven natural gas reserves globally, Qatar has one of the world’s highest GDPs per capita: at current...

This chapter provides helpful tips and information for first-time travellers, listings for ministries and other key contacts, recommendations for quality accommodation options around the country and other useful information.

Given Indonesia’s diversity, the country’s regional policy is crucial to sustainable progress. In the past, under Jakarta- and Java-based regimes, centralisation was seen as the best way forward. The post-Suharto era, however, has seen Indonesia move away from this concentration of power towards an approach that seeks to distribute authority and investment more evenly throughout the country’s...

Macroeconomic growth gained momentum in 2017 on the back of improved global commodities prices, increased foreign direct investment and robust domestic consumption. Although the country has not yet returned to the near-6% average annual GDP growth recorded in the five years leading up to 2012, its macroeconomic fundamentals remain robust, with an improved current account balance and a sweeping...