All Countries and All Sectors

Oman’s economy looks set for a period of solid expansion, with the state’s pump-priming efforts of the past year having a positive impact on growth. Much of the same is expected in 2012 as the government increasing its spending to create jobs and improve key infrastructure.

Looking to build on its recent good showing in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) survey, where it made solid gains in a number of categories and improved its overall ranking, Brunei Darussalam is now looking to further enhance its business climate and attract increasing levels of foreign direct investment. Yet, it still has some way to go before it achieves its goal of being included in the upper percentile of the World Bank ratings.

Local business leaders and foreign investors alike are expressing confidence in the outlook for Indonesia’s insurance sector. Continued economic growth, low levels of penetration and strong performances from leading firms this year are all upside indicators. The market is a competitive one, and insurers are actively examining new strategies for capitalising on its considerable potential.

As hypermarkets change Malaysia’s shopping landscape and economic pressures squeeze profits, the country’s retail sector should continue to maintain a healthy growth rate and become increasingly competitive.

Qatar’s tourism sector will be one of the big winners of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with an accelerated building programme of hotels, hospitality facilities and entertainment centres aimed at making sure fans will enjoy their stay, though care has to be taken to ensure that once the World Cup is over, visitors keep coming through the turnstiles.

For a country that a few years ago was pumping less than 1000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Ghana’s upstream oil and gas industry has undergone a massive change. As it begins only its second year of production, Ghana’s oil segment is poised to earn GHS1.24bn ($827.85m) in revenue in 2012, while accelerating activity in the gas sector in the coming months will help improve both the sustainability of the hydrocarbons industry as well as the country’s balance sheet.