Author: OBG Admin

Pham Hong Hai-CEO-HSBC Vietnam

From the ground up: Major seaport project boosts connectivity and strengthens partnerships

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Kuwait has historically been an important location for regional trade, although in recent years the country has seen more conflict than trade with its neighbours. However, relations are beginning to improve, which has had major implications for transport and logistics. Kuwait is planning to construct a new urban centre, Madinat Al Hareer – or Silk City – near the coast of Iraq, which it hopes will be a further boost to the country’s regional and global connectivity. The 250-sq-km city will be served by an international airport, road and rail connections, and a major seaport and trans-shipment zone. In terms of the latter, the

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

Alternative means: Solar power could help lower the energy import bill and recover oil from mature wells

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  At the 2012 UN Conference on Climate Change in Doha, the emir of Kuwait announced that the country was aiming to generate 15% of its electricity from sun and wind by 2030 – a target since reasserted in the New Kuwait 2035 vision. While this goal will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, Kuwait’s desire to boost renewable energy is also linked to its aim to reduce the almost 100% share of power generation accounted for by oil and gas. Achieving

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

Front and centre: Two projects aim to dramatically improve local refining capacity and petrochemicals production

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  The Kuwaiti government is set to become one of the world’s largest downstream oil and gas investors thanks to plans by state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) to diversify its oil products and boost petrochemicals output. Central to this strategy, which comes at a $50bn price tag, is the goal of more than doubling the country’s refining capacity to boost Kuwait’s standing in a highly competitive regional market. KPC’s overseas arm, Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI), is coordinating this expansion strategy with a number of undertakings

Éric N’guessan-Managing Partner-EY Côte d’Ivoire

Northern gateway: As urban populations undergo rapid growth, planners are striving to develop the north of the country

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Major infrastructure developments are driving Kuwait’s construction sector, as large-scale projects are either nearing completion or gaining renewed momentum. As such, planners are looking to the sparsely populated northern area of the country – commonly known as the Northern Gateway – for the implementation of mega-developments that will require significant political, and public and private sector backing. Causeway One of the largest road transport projects of late is the 37.5-km Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah Causeway, which opened to traffic on May 1,

Daniel Asare-Kyei-CEO-Esoko; Curtis Vanderpuije-CEO-ExpressPay; and Daniel Marfo-General Manager-Zipline Ghana

Finding balance: After a strong recovery, the market for investment properties remains subject to broader demographic factors

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  Kuwait’s residential real estate market has long been divided into two main segments: private residential housing, which is only available to Kuwaiti and GCC citizens; and investment housing, which usually involves apartments targeted at short-term, expat renters, but is also open to GCC nationals. With expatriates making up around 70% of the population, developments within the investment housing segment are of key importance to the sector. It is in this area, too, that some of the largest private developers and contractors are present, producing

Éric N’guessan-Managing Partner-EY Côte d’Ivoire

Come on-line: Investment in next-generation technology has been improving communication speed and capacity

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  In June 2019 Zain Kuwait launched the country’s first fully integrated 5G mobile internet service. Speaking at the launch, Nawaf Al Gharabally, chief technology officer at Zain, told local press that telecommunications services are key to accelerating economic growth and boosting trade. “Obviously, existing mobile networks will not be able to satisfy the future needs of the telecoms sector,” Al Gharabally said. “5G will contribute to the digital transformation and prosperity of Kuwait.” With other players following suit, Kuwait is setting an example for

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

At altitude: Carving out a space as a global centre for aerospace production

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

With aviation export growth averaging 15% per year between 2008 and 2018, Mexico is steadily emerging as an important regional and international player in the aerospace industry. Demand for commercial aircraft is expected to double globally by 2035, according to research from aircraft giant Boeing, and the country is well situated to leverage its position to increase domestic and foreign investment in the industry. Growing demand for commercial, military and space aircraft is set to provide new opportunities for Mexico’s skilled, cost-competitive workforce. International firms and investors are playing a central role in the development of the sector, with a strong increase in foreign-owned aerospace

Éric N’guessan-Managing Partner-EY Côte d’Ivoire

To the finish line: New clusters strengthen manufacturing in San Luis Potosí

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

San Luis Potosí’s automotive manufacturing industry has had a notable impact on the economy, generating 8% of its GDP and dominating the state’s several sprawling industrial parks. The first automotive company entered the state in 1968 and in the years since, the number of such companies with operations in San Luis Potosí have increased rapidly. In 2006, 83 automotive companies were active in the state, a figure that had expanded to 235 by June 2019, according to the Secretariat of Economic Development ( Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico, SEDECO). Many of these companies have centralised operations around the capital city of San Luis Potosí, where all

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

Good prospects: Key precious and industrial metals set to expand

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

The mining sector is one of the longest-operating industries in Mexico, extending back almost 500 years. According to the Mining Chamber of Mexico (Cámara Minera de México, Camimex), the country was the world’s number-one producer of silver, the seventh-largest producer of copper and the ninth-largest producer of gold in 2017, and responsible for 1.7% of the world’s output of mineral ore. However, investors are approaching the sector cautiously amid changing political circumstances, as the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office in December 2018, halted the issuance of new titles for exploration. This has created uncertainty regarding access to new mining land.

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

Investment destination: Private funds boost the competitiveness of Hidalgo’s industry

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

The potential of Hidalgo as an industrial hub is hardly a new discovery, stemming back to the 1950s when the manufacturing city of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún in the southern municipality of Tepeapulco was founded as part of a federal government initiative to house the Mexican automotive producer National Diesel, also known as DINA, and national rail construction company Constructora Nacional de Carros de Ferrocarril (Concarril). Shortly after, the state began attracting other private companies in the automotive, metal, plastic and textile manufacturing industries. More recently a new focus has been placed on Hidalgo as global companies and new industrial parks are setting up shop