As the economy of resource-dependent Brunei Darussalam prepares for a future when its oil and gas reserves are depleted, policy makers are putting more emphasis on innovative areas of industry that aim to capitalise on the Sultanate’s heritage and culture.In recent months, the country has launched several initiatives linked to “creative industries”, a term that encapsulates sectors such as architecture,…
To boost the quality of its education system, Brunei Darussalam has formed key partnerships with foreign governments and leading international institutions, as well as taken a leadership role in regional education.On June 11, for example, the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the US-based East-West Centre, a research organisation aimed at promoting better relations between the US and Asia,…
As the Sultanate forges ahead with plans to improve air and road transport links with its neighbours as part of plans for regional growth, officials say the Sultanate’s domestic network is in equal need of attention.At a Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines/East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) meeting on transport, infrastructure, and information and communications technology (ICT) development held…
Despite declining profits in 2011, Brunei Darussalam’s banks are looking forward to a period of financial stability and new products, as tighter lending rules put in place by the government have created a clean slate for new, better-regulated credit activity.In June, Baiduri Bank unveiled e-banking services and plans for new branches and ATM services, while in May HSBC reaffirmed its commitment to…
Brunei Darussalam has long identified Islamic finance as a sector that can be developed to its advantage, both to serve the banking needs of its domestic economy and as an avenue for economic development at the international level. To achieve these objectives, however, it will need to step up investments in human resources.Having first launched the Islamic finance option more than 20 years ago, sharia-compliant…
Thanks to the government’s incentives to take up the latest technology, along with a greater willingness among the private sector to take advantage of information and communications technology (ICT) in business, Brunei Darussalam’s ICT sector is witnessing some growth.The Sultanate’s steady improvement is reflected in the findings of the latest Global Information Technology Report, prepared on…
You are cordially invited to attend the Islamic Finance news Roadshow in Brunei on the 30th November 2011 at The Empire Hotel and Country Club. This one-day event is designed to generate ideas and fresh views to help you develop new or alternative ways to improve your business, this Roadshow aims to explore and analyze the latest developments in the Brunei Islamic financial market and to tap…
The Sultanate’s policy to promote industry as a means of diversifying the economy is starting to produce the dividends the government had in mind when it established the programme on industrialisation, though it still has some way to go before achieving all its objectives.In early March, during a session of the Legislative Council, Mohammad Yasmin Umar, the minister of energy, gave a briefing on…
On September 20-22 this year, 10 ASEAN Energy Ministers and their counterparts from Australia, China,India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand will meet in Brunei Darussalam.In conjunction with the Ministerial meetings, there will be a meeting with the business sector – theASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF).The Joint Opening of the ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meetings and the ASEAN Energy…
Oxford Business Group sponsored this event in Brunei Darussalam on 3 June 2010.…
