Featured by OBG
While known primarily for its vast gas reserves prior to 2010, Qatar’s global profile received a major boost that year when it was chosen to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, leading to a significant increase in infrastructure development throughout the country. Qatar is now leveraging its natural resources to become a knowledge-based, diversified economy, and it is looking to attract greater foreign direct investment to further develop its non-oil growth engines, such as tourism, sports, financial services, technology, real estate and logistics.
After weathering a series of global and regional challenges in recent years, Bahrain is emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic with strong growth, rising government revenue and a new plan for the future economy. As energy and tourism earnings recover, the kingdom aims to generate sustainable long-term growth opportunities through new sector strategies and transformational infrastructure projects. These positive developments build on the country’s robust financial services and manufacturing sectors, which have helped make it one of the most diverse economies in the Gulf.
Located at the geographic centre of the MENA region, Egypt has a well-documented history that has seen it accumulate knowledge and wealth over millennia. Egypt proved resilient during the Covid-19 pandemic: it was the only country in the MENA region to record positive GDP growth in 2020. Its economy has been widely driven by the execution of Egypt Vision 2030. This plan notably aims to increase annual GDP to 12% in 2030.
Qatar is leveraging its resources to become a knowledge-based, diversified economy fuelled by a dynamic private sector. As such, the country is investing in strategic areas such as agriculture, services, and research and development to further move the economy away from its dependence on hydrocarbons and attract greater foreign direct investment.
Ghana is the first African country to achieve independence from British colonial rule, and is widely known for its natural resources such as cocoa, as well as its inland water sources. Several measures have been taken to balance government revenue and spending, and the country remains a safe haven for foreign direct investment, which stood at $830m in the first half of 2021. The most recent general elections, held in December 2020, were favourably assessed by observers who noted that they represented a continuation of democratic processes.
With a population of over 200m, Nigeria is a large and diversified economy, despite the government’s reliance on oil and gas revenue. While the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent oil price crash caused a contraction in economic growth in 2020, it also led to rapid digitalisation across commerce, education and communication. This shift is expected to put Nigeria in a favourable position for recovery in the medium term.