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Industry Sector Research Highlights

Focus Report: How Special Economic Zones are shaping Africa's industrial landscape

As Africa embraces the transformative power of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Special Economic Zones (SEZs) emerge as pivotal catalysts for regional economic growth...

The Report: Ghana 2024
OBG
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Industry & Retail Sector Analysis

Since 2015 industrial subsectors have consistently attracted some of Ghana’s largest inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), with the country among the top-three in West Africa in terms of FDI...

The Report: Kuwait 2024
OBG
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Industry & Retail Sector Analysis

The industrial sector has remained resilient despite recent local and global economic headwinds. The country’s manufacturing base was buffeted by the global Covid-19 pandemic...

Driving Saudi Arabia's economic transformation: Unleashing growth and innovation across strategic sectors

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 blueprint for socio-economic transformation is capturing international attention. Beyond high-profile projects and events, strategic cohesion and societal support are facilitating...

Industry Sector Analyses

Overview

Ghana's new ease-of-doing-business measures boost industrial capacity
OBG
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Ghana’s industrial strategy has been a reference point in the acceleration of Africa’s industrialisation drive in recent years. Since 2015 industrial subsectors such as manufacturing, and oil and gas have consistently attracted some of Ghana’s largest inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Indeed, the country has remained in the top-three FDI destinations in West Africa since 2006. The relative success of Ghana’s industrial landscape has been built on a proactive government implementing an ambitious industrial policy...

Analysis

Value-added manufacturing key to Ghana’s industrial evolution
OBG
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An export-focused growth strategy has long informed Ghana’s industrialisation agenda. The country’s economic infrastructure is key to this growth strategy, which comprises special economic zones (SEZs), export processing zones (EPZs) and industrial parks. This landscape facilitates the maximisation of limited capital outlay, the provision of a dedicated institutional framework, lower production costs and an enabling business ecosystem due to shared services and infrastructure within a designated environment...

Analysis

Why transition bonds appeal to global industrial players
OBG
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As companies look to shift towards more environmentally sustainable operations, those in fossil fuel or heavy-polluting sectors are increasingly turning to transition bonds – a relatively new class of debt instrument used to fund a company’s s efforts to reduce its environmental impact or lower carbon emissions. They are often issued in large carbon-emitting industries that would not normally qualify for green bonds, such as oil and gas, iron and steel, chemicals, aviation and shipping. In the UAE, for example...

Overview

Ghanaian retail benefitting from rising disposable income and expansion in e-commerce
OBG
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Ghana’s retail sector is navigating various challenges to reach its considerable potential. The ongoing war in Ukraine, volatile commodity prices, a fiscal deficit, rising unemployment and stubborn inflation are among the global and domestic macroeconomic headwinds constraining Ghana’s real GDP growth, limiting household income and spending to basic necessities. Compounding the picture was the more than 55% depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar in the first nine months of 2022. Despite these challenges...

Analysis

Ghana's informal retail segment occupies important economic role
OBG
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The informal sector plays a pivotal role in sub-Saharan Africa’s economy, and is a significant contributor to both GDP and jobs. It is also the main source of employment for key demographics such as women, who outnumber men in the labour force: a report from the International Labour Organisation found that the informal employment rate in the non-agriculture sector was 63.6% for women in 2019. As such, it is the backbone of future growth and development...

Focus Report: How are Libya's free zones incorporating ESG norms into their business practices?

Given the supply chain disruptions since the Covid-19 pandemic, investment in ports and free zones has become more crucial to the global economy and the resilience of trade...

Industry in Africa

Economic Research Highlights

Business intelligence and insights on trends, developments, and opportunities in Africa's industry sector.

Industry in Emerging Markets

OBG Talks

Is the Gulf ready for electric and autonomous vehicles?

As the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) work towards economic diversification objectives and net-zero goals, opportunities are opening up for automotive manufacturers to roll out innovations in electric and autonomous vehicles. With the region characterised by a relatively young, tech-savvy and wealthy consumer class and governments keen to advance sustainability progress and gain an early-mover advantage in next-generation technologies, the GCC potentially offers fertile ground for growth...

Economic View

Jack Uppal, President and Managing Director – Africa and Middle East, General Motors (GM)

On learning from supply chain challenges and the development of other segments

Economic News

Gulf countries look to space to harness scientific and commercial opportunities
OBG
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In the push to embrace emerging technologies and harness their potential commercial opportunities, Gulf countries are launching new initiatives to bolster their domestic space industries. In June Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers approved the transformation of the Saudi Space Commission, which was launched in 2018, into a full government agency known as the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to the space sector and exploration activities. The move followed the successful launch...

Economic News

Can MENA capture a share of the green steel market?
OBG
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As the global industrial sector seeks to shrink its carbon footprint, a number of MENA countries are investing in green steel production to capture market share and help meet emissions targets. Despite generating 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, industry has been slow in adopting carbon-efficient manufacturing technologies. Steel is the manufacturing segment with the largest emissions, accounting for 7% of global emissions annually due in part to a reliance on coal to heat smelting furnaces...

Economic News

What shifting supply chains for semiconductors mean for emerging markets
OBG
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After the US levied sweeping restrictions against China’s semiconductor manufacturing industry last autumn, opportunities are emerging for other countries to bolster their positions in the supply chain for this critical component of the global economy and linchpin of future technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and next-generation computing. In October the US Department of Commerce blocked the sale of semiconductors and chip-making equipment to China in a bid to slow its domestic industry...

Economic News

Will more sustainable plastics revolutionise waste management in emerging markets?
OBG
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As an increasing number of countries ban single-use plastics, waste remains a significant environmental issue – although a variety of initiatives promise to make emerging markets the focus of the global struggle against plastic waste. The Covid-19 pandemic saw a decline in plastic usage; however, it led to an increase in littering from personal protective equipment (PPE) and single-use plastics. Additionally, much of this waste is disposed of unsustainably, ending up either incinerated or stored in landfill, the third-largest source...

Economic News

The role of industrial zones in SME growth in emerging markets
OBG
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As governments across Africa look to bolster the economic potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industrial parks and special economic zones (SEZs) are emerging as key enablers of their development. SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, particularly in emerging markets, where they make up 90% of all businesses and create 50% of all jobs. The impact is higher in Africa, where SMEs employ around 80% of the continent’s workforce. But while SMEs are a major economic driver, there is also significant room for further growth. In Egypt, for example, SMEs employ 75% of the workforce, but contribute less than 20% of the country’s exports....

Global Platform

Industrialisation is key to Africa's integration and future economic growth

In this Global Platform video Kojo Aduhene, CEO of LMI Holdings, emphasises the importance of industrialisation for the African continent, as well as the key role the private sector can play in securing the necessary infrastructure. Regional integration, sustainability and job creation will be key to future growth...

How district cooling can contribute to energy and cost efficiency in the GCC and beyond

Suliman Al Khliwi, Managing Director, Saudi Tabreed

In this Global Platform video, Suliman Al Khliwi, Managing Director, Saudi Tabreed, discusses how district cooling can offer numerous advantages over conventional cooling in the GCC...

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