Author: OBG Admin

Sheikh Ahmad Duaij Jaber Al Sabah-Chairman-Commercial Bank of Kuwait

New approach: Public-private partnerships take on a greater role in government projects and help attract foreign direct investment

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Following several years of global economic uncertainty, budget deficits and unpredictable oil prices, in April 2019 the Council of Ministers approved a long-discussed public-private partnership (PPP) law, expected to be formally enacted in 2020. The new law is intended to clarify and regulate the framework for projects involving both the government and private firms. Also in early 2019, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, issued Law No. 1 of 2019 regarding foreign direct investment (FDI), which laid out rules for

Sheikh Ahmad Duaij Jaber Al Sabah-Chairman-Commercial Bank of Kuwait

Leading role: A new strategy to bolster the development of artificial intelligence

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  As the latest policy piece in the government’s drive to create a knowledge-based economy built on leveraging the newest technologies, the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy was launched in October 2019. The strategy, developed by the Qatar Computing Research Institute at Hamad bin Khalifa University, is designed to identify economic opportunities and research potential in the burgeoning field of AI. It is based on six pillars: the race for talent, data access, employment, wealth creation, research, and ethics and public policy. Threats & Benefits While much of the world’s AI development takes place in the US, the EU and China, officials have underlined the

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

On track: Improvements to infrastructure and hospitality position the country as a destination for international sporting events

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  While much public focus is on preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a number of government and private sector initiatives are laying a foundation for Qatar to become a global centre for sporting. Under the guidance of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), the country is building a sports event management and research centre as part of its economic diversification plans. Leveraging this expertise and experience, Qatar aims to become a world leader in hosting major sporting events. Such events are also being

Daouda Coulibaly-Managing Director-Société Ivoirienne de Banque

Matching sets: Creating an ecosystem to balance education and industry needs

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  As Qatar’s tertiary education sector grows, so do the connections between universities and employers in the country. A number of universities are offering executive education or continuing professional development courses for those already in employment, while researchers are keen to work alongside potential end-users of their innovations. However, as with any education system, gaps remain between the skills of graduates and the needs of government and industry. “Entrepreneurship in Qatar is growing and universities can help bolster this growth,” Everette E Dennis, former dean of Northwestern University in Qatar, told OBG. “Public-private partnerships would enhance this.” Graduate Prospects Given its relatively small population, Qatar

Chaim Zach-Managing Director and CEO-Agric International Technology and Trade; Kabiru Rabiu-Group Executive Director-BUA Group; and Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed-Managing Director

Support for studies: Research centres are at the core of government plans for capacity building, development and innovation

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Qatar is pushing forwards with its goal of becoming a centre for research and development, after establishing a new government agency aimed at encouraging and nurturing innovation. The Qatar Research Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council is chaired by Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, the deputy prime minister and minister of state for defence affairs, with Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, the CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), serving as deputy-chair. The QRDI Council, which is based at QF, was created in 2018 with the

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

State of care: Health facilities grow with mix of private and public projects

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Qatar is fast-tracking the construction of a number of new hospitals and clinics as part of efforts to keep up with demand and establish the country as a regional and global leader in health care. Under the Qatar Healthcare Facilities Master Plan (QHFMP), an ambitious 20-year policy blueprint launched in 2013, the government set itself the target of completing 48 new projects by the end of 2020, with 31 health clinics, eight diagnostic and treatment units, a general and a specialist hospital, two long-term facilities and five hospital expansions. As of early 2020 the plan was on track, with public capital expenditure – which

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

A helping hand: Better regulation and support measures improve the business climate for smaller companies

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  As the benefits of Morocco’s long-term development plans have become evident, through sustained GDP growth rates and an increasingly liberalised economy, passing on those benefits to the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has at times eluded policymakers. Although SMEs account for approximately 95% of all companies in the kingdom, they are often faced with a more challenging operating environment with limited access to finance. Although the majority of these firms have annual turnover of less than Dh3m ($313,000), the SME sector has an

Emmanuel Macron-President of France

Game-changer: A new trade deal lays the groundwork for greater integration and intra-continental trade in Africa

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Although trade flows among African states remain below their potential, an ambitious project is under way to accelerate economic integration and significantly expand intra-continental trade. Spearheaded by the African Union (AU), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was signed in March 2018 and aims to substantially reduce both tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. As of December 2019 the AfCFTA had the backing of 54 out of 55 AU member states. Major Deal The agreement stands to make the regional bloc the

Chaim Zach-Managing Director and CEO-Agric International Technology and Trade; Kabiru Rabiu-Group Executive Director-BUA Group; and Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed-Managing Director

Regional parity: Government plans for devolution are moving forward

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Morocco is advancing with its regionalisation plans, with the goal of enhancing the transfer of critical development funds to the less-developed regions of the kingdom in order to curb economic and social inequalities. Over the past two decades the kingdom has seen a strong level of economic development that has allowed it to diversify its economy, attract considerable volumes of foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as modernise its infrastructure. However, growth rates have since slowed down. After growing at approximately 4.5% per year between 2000 and 2012, the kingdom’s annual GDP expansion averaged some 3% between 2013 and 2018. However, that economic prosperity

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

New yields: Alternative assets spark interest in a low interest rate context

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  The 2009-13 period was marked by a strong deterioration of the twin deficit in 2012, when the budget deficit and the current account deficit slowed by 6.8% and 9.5%, respectively. However, with the market starting to recover since 2014, interest rates have begun trending downwards, prompting investors – both globally and in Morocco – to turn to alternative assets for higher yields. Challenges In the challenging political context of the Arab Spring, public deficit worsened between 2009 and 2012, increasing from Dh15.9bn ($1.7bn) at 2.1% of GDP, to Dh63.3bn ($6.6bn), or 2.1% of GDP. This was mainly the result of: • An increase in