All Countries and All Sectors

The financial health of Kuwait’s banking sector has improved markedly since the height of the global financial crisis, when falling asset prices had a negative impact on balance sheets and a number of institutions faced rising numbers of non-performing loans. Today, banks are well capitalised and reporting increased profits.

Oman’s higher education system is set to be bolstered by a programme that will fine-tune its services to better meet the needs of both students and the national economy, while also bringing the system in line with international standards.

Two new submarine fibre-optic cables have gone on-line in Nigeria in the past two years, with a third set to land in June. While this should eventually improve the nation’s spotty internet access, customers are still waiting to reap the benefits of increased bandwidth and lower prices. Nonetheless telecoms operators are switching over to the fourth generation (4G) platform to accommodate future expected demand for data services.

A long-awaited change in property ownership rules for foreigners in 2011 could further heat the country’s real estate market amid bullish investor sentiment in the sector. But the government has sent mixed messages over proposals that could potentially incite nationalist sentiment.

With the government pushing ahead with efforts to achieve high-income status by 2020, the need to accelerate education transformation in Sabah, particularly in rural areas, has moved to the forefront of late.

With a young population and a growing economy, demand for residential property in the greater Kuala Lumpur (KL) area is expected to remain strong, as new transportation schemes to add to the city’s attractiveness.