All Countries and All Sectors

Thailand's education system is one of the big winners from the government's recent economic stimulus package, while other reforms due to be implemented in May will encourage parents to keep their children in school and ease their financial burden.

The Ukrainian government is bracing itself for a tough ride ahead. In an address to the parliament on March 31, President Viktor Yushchenko said the economy shrank 25-30% year-on-year in the first two months of 2009 and that further hardships would have to be endured before there was a return to positive growth.

Despite being home to the world's largest Muslim population, Islamic finance in Indonesia has yet to catch up with other Asian financial markets, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. In order to increase its domestic penetration, as well as help the country attract more outside funding, the government is introducing new legislation to make sharia-compliant financial products more competitive.

Qatar is taking health care to a new level, going beyond merely providing medical services to its people and moving towards positioning the country as a centre of research and development, a move that could bolster the health of the economy as well as the nation.

On April 17, Nigeria's Ministry of Information and Communication launched its rebranding campaign for the Federal Republic by announcing a new logo and slogan, "Nigeria: Good People, Great Nation", in a bid to increase awareness of Nigeria's cultural offerings . One industry in particular is playing a crucial role in this promotional push: the extremely popular Nigerian film industry, Nollywood.

There have been early signs of success as Abu Dhabi's health sector continues at full tilt in its bid to provide high-quality health care by attracting private sector investors to the emirate.