All Countries and All Sectors

The Philippines’ aviation sector is soon to undergo one of the most dramatic overhauls in its history, with a new open skies policy about to be implemented, granting foreign carriers access to provincial airports across the country. The government has said this measure will bolster tourism. However some critics believe liberalising the industry will do little to increase visitor numbers unless Philippine airlines are given reciprocal landing rights overseas.

Taking stock of the latest spending on infrastructure, the Ministry of Public Works gave a boost to Kuwait’s construction sector in December 2010 when it announced that billions of dollars worth of projects were currently under way, with even more set to follow in the new year.

In an effort to satisfy a growing appetite for energy, Jordan is working to wean itself off costly imported oil and make better use of its own resources. The country hopes to attract $14bn in investments in energy infrastructure, including the construction of a nuclear reactor scheduled to come on stream in 2018, and efforts focused on developing renewables and oil shale.

Abu Dhabi’s industrialists, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and contractors have received welcome news with the announcement that the Shah natural gas project is back on track following the signing of a deal with a new foreign partner.

The digital age will be heading deeper into the heart of Borneo soon – that was the message delivered by Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum in Sarawak recently. The Minister said in early December that more than 500 villages in Sabah would gain access to the internet via satellite next year as part of the “Kampung Wi-Fi” project.

Oman’s real estate sector is slowly regaining momentum after more than a year of reduced activity. The increase in demand is being seen in a number of sectors whilst oversupply in others has resulted in weaker take-up, although this could soon be overcome as the impact of a massive government investment programme starts to be felt more acutely.