The Middle East and North Africa’s shifting environment is making it more difficult for companies to justify investment. Several events are fueling the perception of MENA’s instability. Economic and political transitions in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia are giving pause to foreign investors who are taking a wait-and-see approach to their entry and expansion strategies. There are serious concerns that Syria’s devastating civil war will increasingly undermine stability in neighboring markets, including Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. Other threats to stability, such as the fallout from a deepening eurozone crisis and the specter of a conflict involving Iran, keep corporate offices jittery about regional investment.
Despite a challenging environment, huge opportunities exist for companies operating in MENA. The MENA region’s resilient economy is expected to continue expanding steadily through 2013 and beyond. The region’s youth population has reached 200 million and it will grow significantly during the next two decades when MENA’s total population approaches 500 million. An estimated US$100 billion per year is needed for infrastructure investment to sustain growth rates and boost economic competitiveness.
EMEA executives have a difficult time making the case for MENA, even though other regions in EMEA also have challenges. Economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe is slowing rapidly. Sub-Saharan Africa remains very risky operationally. Spending power in wealthy GCC countries is nearly 50% higher than in Central and Eastern Europe. MENA’s GDP will surpass US$4 trillion by 2015, which will be 2.5 times larger than Sub-Saharan Africa.
Even if your corporate office is not thinking about MENA investment, others are focusing on the high-reward markets. Companies will be fighting for a smaller piece of the pie due to rising competition. In a recent FSG survey of leading companies, more than 65% plan to increase their current presence in MENA markets during the next 1 to 3 years. Nearly one-third of surveyed companies expect to enter at least one new MENA market within the next 3 years.
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