This chapter contains a guide to the Sultanate’s best hotels and apartments, telephone numbers for ministries, embassies and other important institutions, and useful information for first-time visitors to the country.…
This chapter provides a guide to the Sultanate’s regulatory structure, focusing on key areas including property laws, IP rights and the sharia system. It also contains a viewpoint from Colin Ong, Managing Partner, Dr Colin Ong Legal Services; and President, Arbitration Association Brunei Darussalam (AABD).…
Tourism operators in the Sultanate have experienced an eventful few years. A government reshuffle in late 2015 seemed aimed at increasing the focus on the tourism sector, lending hope to many private sector operators that the government would increase support for the growth and expansion of the industry. In tandem with this, however, the appreciation of the Sultanate’s dollar, which is pegged to…
In 2007-08 South-east Asia was hit by an unprecedented shortage of staple food products. A number of factors have been blamed for this event, including droughts, a surge in costs, low stockpiles, increasing demand from growing middle-class populations and speculation over commodity prices. In response, the governments of many countries in the region embarked on efforts to ensure that they would not…
A number of large-scale infrastructure projects are currently being rolled out in Brunei Darussalam that look set to make a significant contribution to the national economy, greatly facilitating the Sultanate’s connectivity and potentially leading to further construction opportunities. In addition, several small-sized projects are under way, which promise to add to the Sultanate’s attractiveness…
As Brunei Darussalam prepares to diversify its economy away from oil and gas, it is looking toward other sectors to contribute further to GDP. The transport industry has thus found itself in the spotlight, with expectations of the sector’s economic and strategic potential running high. The extent to which the various transport- and logistics-related initiatives are successful remains to be seen;…
Despite economic and legal changes now under way, Brunei Darussalam remains well positioned to continue on its current trajectory of steady economic growth and political stability. The increasing focus on economic diversification, and the ongoing growth of the non-energy sectors, bodes well for the Bruneian economy, as does further exploration and improved efficiency in the oil and gas industry. F
The government of Brunei Darussalam has taken the initiative with regards to fostering a strong ICT sector in the Sultanate. The government is mindful of technology’s potential to create value for the country’s economy and to ensure social development for its citizens. To date, government officials, in concert with the private sector, have initiated various strategic ICT infrastructure projects…
Consisting of both Islamic and conventional insurers, the Sultanate’s insurance sector has held steady in recent times, despite strong external pressures on Brunei Darussalam’s economy. Non-life remains a dynamic segment, with Islamic takaful products making up the bulk of these general insurance premiums. This pattern looks set to continue in the year ahead, too, with the next 12 months also promising…
With a strong Islamic banking sector, a growing Islamic insurance (takaful) industry and an expanding market for Islamic bonds (sukuk), Brunei Darussalam has recently been drawing much attention internationally as a center for Islamic financial services (IFS). Indeed, Brunei Darusslam is now amongst the nine countries worldwide where Islamic finance has reached systemic importance – places where…
