Featured by OBG
Saudi Arabia is entering a new phase of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s long-term development roadmap, with greater emphasis on consolidating and maximising the impact of economic reforms introduced over the past decade. Since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, the Kingdom has pursued an ambitious agenda aimed at diversifying and moving away from hydrocarbons and expanding private sector activity. Saudi Arabia is increasingly well positioned to sustain the growth of recent years and drive foreign capital inflows and privatisation, positioning it as a globally competitive investment destination while reinforcing international confidence in the Kingdom’s policy direction.
Algeria is a country rich in history and situated in a strategically important region. While its past has at times been turbulent, the last decade has been one of relative peace. Economic growth and development has followed, driven primarily by advances in the hydrocarbons sector.
The second-largest economy in Africa after Nigeria, South Africa benefits from some of the most sophisticated financial markets in the world, paired with a robust regulatory system, and is also home to the headquarters of a number of major multinational players in the fields of industry, energy and financial services.
Situated on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, Ghana’s natural resource wealth and status as a stable democracy have helped make it a prominent player in the region. It is the world’s second-largest exporter of cocoa, behind Côte d’Ivoire, and one of the continent’s largest gold producers. Recently discovered reserves of oil and gas have powered the economy to double-digit growth in the past decade.
With more limited hydrocarbons reserves compared to its UAE neighbours to the south, RAK has developed into an industrial hub thanks to its dynamic network of industrial free trade zones. Considerable natural resources feed the country’s thriving cement and ceramics industries while elsewhere the emirate is looking to leverage its varied landscapes in a bid to boost tourism revenues in line with general economic diversification targets.
At a time when a number of major Latin American economies, including Brazil and Venezuela, are heading toward recession, Mexico’s economy stands out in the region for its resilience. The country is expected to maintain a solid economic performance in 2015 and beyond, with the IMF estimating GDP growth of 3% and 3.3% in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
