Foreign investment

Central Asia: from sanctions to strategy

Kazakhstan is moving the fastest. Construction is under way on the new Darbaza-Maktaaral rail link to Uzbekistan (US$523 million) and a second track on the Dostyk-Moiynty section to lift China-Europe capacity five-fold by 2027. At the Caspian end, Aktau will add a 200,000 TEU container hub by 2025 for just US$42 million, while Kuryk gains [...]

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Corridors or Chokepoints – the infrastructure bet driving Ethiopia’s future

Although the Pretoria accord halted open warfare, Ethiopia’s political temperature has begun to rise again. Rival factions inside the Tigray People’s Liberation Front now contest the authority of the federally backed Interim Administration; analysts warn that internal splits could ignite a fresh insurgency and draw Eritrea back in. In parallel, the Fano militia in Amhara

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Kazakhstan: The Eurasian Trade Pivot

Kazakhstan enters mid-2025 in a somewhat different position from previous years. The economy is showing signs of stable growth, with the World Bank projecting GDP expansion driven by non-oil sectors, and revived investor interest. Inflation has eased, and fiscal buffers have been replenished following earlier shocks from the pandemic and energy price volatility. While hydrocarbons

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The UAE’s Rise and Reach: not to be underestimated

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) used to rely heavily on oil to drive growth, but over the last decade, it has shifted its economic focus. In 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the UAE’s GDP to grow by 4%, rising to 5% in 2026, outpacing both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Most of this growth

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China’s Opportunities: Western partners and allies

The evolving rift between Washington and Beijing is reshaping international trade and diplomacy. As the United States promotes a strategy of "de-risking" from China, aimed at reducing economic exposure without complete disengagement, Beijing is reinforcing its position as a necessary global partner. China continues to be as open for business as ever, offering investment opportunities

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2030 Vision: Saudi Arabia’s turning point and what it means for global business

Announced in 2016, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 marked an ambitious change. One that sought to break away from the Kingdom’s longstanding dependence on oil, aiming instead to build a more diversified and integrated economy. A decade later, the momentum is visible, albeit unfolding at a measured pace. Fuelled by sweeping investments from the Public Investment

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Climbing High: India’s role in rewriting global supply chains

India entered 2025 maintaining its status as one of the world's few high-growth economies, but when one peers beneath this encouraging data, the outlook is one of resilience and restraint. While government spending continues to drive infrastructure expansion and consumer demand remains steady, the momentum in private sector investment has not kept pace. According to

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Portugal’s Quiet Climb in Deep Tech and Bio Innovation

With advantageous visa programs, substantial government support, and funding from the European Union, Portugal is emerging as a cost-effective innovation hub for biotechnology, space technology, and ocean sciences. Deep tech is undeniably a significant driving force behind Portugal’s economy, paralleling trends seen in other European nations. Deep Tech The term "Deep Tech" refers to technologies

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ASEAN and the Gulf States, or is it Gulf-Asia?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN’s) foundation came about as a result of a reconciliation peace process between Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, which had been brokered by Thailand. In fact, it was the Thai Foreign Minister, Thanat Khoman, who first proposed the idea for the association on the back of that peace agreement,

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While the West struggles, Southeast Asia grows

No matter the source, the news bombarding people in the West today is, almost, a permanent diet of negativity; businesses collapsing, lost jobs with more to follow, tax rises and wars – both economic and physical. The impression is that the world is falling apart, but is there any good news for business out there?

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