Al Emid

Regional disputes threaten the reputation of GCC states as a haven for foreign investment, but capital continues to flow.

Serbia finds success yet faces challenges as it works to take its place on the world economic stage.

Although its successes have been less far-reaching than hoped by some of its proponents, it does provide a response to the challenges to helping the impoverished gain access to financial services to increase their incomes and financial stability.

The re-election of moderate Hassan Rouhani for a second term as Iran’s president ends a chapter in Iran’s history,

The sub-Saharan nation taps special zones to draw foreign direct investment.

After ratings downgrades a year ago, the Kingdom of Bahrain has worked to diversify revenue sources while maximizing the benefits of its strong relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Sudan–Ethiopia Transport Corridor), consisting of a large port, a railway, oil pipelines, highways, international airports and cities, is a massive undertaking. Kenya has created a positive environment for foreign direct investment (FDI), as it looks to appeal to foreign multinationals. ...

Mauritius wants foreign direct investment, but investors should consider the economic shift currently underway toward the ocean economy.

Slovenia recognizes the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) for its economy, according to the country’s Minister for Economic Development and Technology, and is working hard to draw interest from foreign investors. 

Panama has a claim as economic growth champion of Central America. Still, for investors, growth isn’t everything, and in Panama, corruption is a significant problem. 

Michel Accad, who took over as CEO at Al Ahli Bank Kuwait in May 2014, talks to Global Finance about why the Kuwait banking system remains solid despite falling oil prices and other pressures.

Several stresses and changes will suggest an uncertain economic outlook for Cuba this year, says Paolo Spadoni, author of “Failed Sanctions: Why the U.S. Embargo against Cuba Could Never Work.”

Investors face economic uncertainty and jihadist threats, but the government has plans to attract more investment from foreign firms. 

 Like other geographic regions once under communist rule, Croatia has traveled a chaotic road to statehood, but it is now solidifying its economic and political progress. 

Columbian voters stunned observers on October 2 by rejecting the peace deal between the government of president Juan Manuel Santos and the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), despite a 52-year civil war that has claimed approximately 220,000 ...

Combining pessimism with a moderate amount of optimism in its 2016 outlook for foreign direct investment, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) forecasts that total FDI flows will fall in 2016 compared with 2015, with the drop ...

The Bahamas offers investors stability, a sophisticated finance sector, educated workers and a climate that tempts tourists.

SECURITY | Cybersecurity forecasts predict more and stronger attacks on corporate and bank technology systems. One treatment: Inoculate by intentionally attacking your own system to find weaknesses before hackers do. 

Frontier Markets Report: Cuba
Obstacles and contradictions mar Cuba’s environment for foreign direct investment, but its market offers a wealth of opportunity.

Ethiopia actively courts and sincerely welcomes foreign direct investment, but its early stage of development presents challenges.

The fast-growing nation is actively seeking FDI, but foreign investors must contend with endemic corruption and layers of bureaucracy.

QIB controls 43.5% of the Islamic banking market share in Qatar and 11.5% of the overall market and says that the long-term growth prospects remain promising.

Zambia offers a range of advantages and opportunities for foreign investors, but they may want to wait awhile until some risks play out.

Frontier Markets Report
Djibouti is a small country with ambitious plans, which it hopes to achieve by attracting large amounts of foreign direct investment.

Milestones | Middle East
The established pattern of falling Middle Eastern credit ratings that started in 2014 continued apace in February and early March of this year, as rating agencies issued further downgrades of governments in the region.

With oil revenues plunging, Ghana seeks to boost the inflow of foreign direct investment.

The republic of Trinidad and Tobago girds for austerity as oil brings in less foreign exchange.

Dealmaking | Capital Markets
Global merger and acquisition prospects for 2016 seem likely to exceed the pace of activity in 2015, although the reasons are likely to differ from region to region.

Bulgaria’s multilingual workforce attracts foreign investors, but corruption is a problem.

Puerto Rico
He has become the face of Puerto Rico’s woes, warning in media interview after interview of its inability to pay its bills and serving as the island’s bearer of bad financial news.

Montenegro tries to keep the foreign direct investment environment as simple as possible. 

An analytical exercise that was moderately popular before the financial crisis has become a mandatory task in the post-crisis years.

Guatemala’s political turmoil, with parties deadlocked in Parliament, a runoff election looming and corruption scandals exploding, means the government will operate in a kind of suspended animation until 2016.

After years of stagnation, Jamaica’s economy appears to be headed up. Debt reduction is a good start.

Wedged between Brazil and Argentina—two neighbors with serious economic problems—Uruguay is an attractive foreign direct investment alternative in Latin America.

Q&A with Moataz Natafji, general manager, BLOM Development Bank, the Islamic subsidiary of BLOM Bank, Beirut, Lebanon

Q&A with Mike Maguid Abdelaaty, president, American Finance House Lariba, Whittier, California

Frontier Markets Report | Myanmar is wide open in terms of investment prospects, and its opportunities are luring investors—despite the risks.

Frontier Markets Report | Oman
The sultanate’s proximity to the Gulf has long been an attraction. But with war in neighboring Yemen, its location could be a drawback.

Overview
The drop in oil prices is having varied effects in the Middle East. How countries respond could determine their long-term prospects.      

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds are notoriously secretive in terms of their investments and strategy. So what will they do in response to the oil price drop? 

Introduction
With a broad-ranging project such as Global Finance’s annual Middle East supplement, success means providing clear insights and stripping away layers of confusion and misunderstanding.

Interviews with the CEO's of Al Ahli Bank, Gulf Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, and Qatar National Bank

Frontier Markets Report | Jordan
Jordan is working hard to build its attractiveness to foreign investors, but regional instability presents a serious downside.

Frontier Markets Report | Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a long history of actively and successfully seeking outside investment. However, the country is dealing with high unemployment and an uncertain fiscal outlook, given that the government plans to ramp up spending on social programs, which could raise the debt level.

The global financial crisis and several factors peculiar to Georgia have affected foreign direct investment inflows, but investors willing to deal with tensions and risks will find opportunities.

Netherlands | Milestone
As a part of the restructuring agreement between ING, the Dutch government and the European Commission, ING agreed to several of what it called “bans,” according to an email sent by a company spokesman to Global Finance

Pakistan | Frontier Markets Focus
Pakistan’s ability to attract both foreign direct and domestic investment fell dramatically during the past decade. Some of the reasons why still apply.   

Corporate Tax | Management
Approximately 500 American companies operate in Argentina—but on November 3 that number abruptly decreased by one as the country’s tax authority, the Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos (AFIP) revoked the company’s registration, accusing P&G of tax and accounting fraud.

Frontier Markets Focus | Romania
Romania aggressively pursues foreign direct investment by providing a number of incentive programs. But international investors should approach each one carefully.