All Countries and All Sectors

For Thailand’s Fortune 500-listed energy giant PTT, 2011 could be one of the busiest years since the firm was privatised in 2001. Its overseas expansion programme is progressing apace with 43 projects under way in 12 countries. At the same time, however, falling reserves in its own backyard and rising costs could have an impact on medium-term growth.

Public spending is scheduled for a major boost in Saudi Arabia, with education, housing and social measures being specifically targeted by a new economic stimulus and support programme.

The recent opening of two hypermarkets in Oman, adding more than 33,000 sq metres of shopping space, has been a welcome boost to the retail sector, alongside new moves to protect the rights of consumers.

As a result of limited global integration, a strong reliance on domestic deposits and a risk-averse regulatory framework, Ghana’s banking sector has weathered the global financial crisis largely unscathed. In fact, most of the sector’s key indicators improved over the course of 2010.

A proposal to merge the operations of the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) appears to be gaining momentum, with stock market officials discussing a plan that could result in the creation of a powerful regional bourse better positioned to compete with nearby rivals and larger international operators.

Solid economic growth bodes well for Indonesia’s insurance sector, with forecasts that insurance premium and total asset levels will increase over the medium term. It is possible, however, that many of the smaller players in the market could be squeezed as competition for clients, especially in the life segment, heats up.