With one of the world’s most commanding positions in the global energy industry and a growing role in regional diplomacy, Qatar has seen many returns on the political and economic investments it has made in the past two decades.

Oil and gas production continues to dominate the Algerian economy, accounting for almost all of exports, close to half of government revenue and over a third of GDP. In recent years non-hydrocarbons GDP has outstripped wider economic growth, though this is largely driven by public spending rather than private sector activity.

With the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) recording a real GDP growth rate, on an aggregatebasis, of 7.13% in the first quarter of 2011, and a slightly lower 6.17% for the same quarter in 2012, Nigeria boasts the continent’s second-largest economy after South Africa. Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria is the third-largest recipient of foreign direct investment in the continent after Angola  and Egypt, according to the US Diplomatic Mission.

Since 1953, when oil was first discovered near Port-Gentil, Gabon’s economy has been dominated by the petroleum industry. According to the BP “Statistical Review of World Energy 2012”, Gabon is the sixth-largest crude oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa and has the region’s fourth-largest proven reserves.

The Arab world’s second largest-economy, with the GDP of $229bn in 2011 according to the World Bank, has faced exceptional economic circumstances since the start of its political transformation 18 months ago. Despite a slowdown from the roughly 7% annual growth rate posted for the seven years prior to, Egypt showed a relatively robust 4.7% GDP expansion for the 2008/09 financial year.