Automakers’ hopes that Asian economies could provide them with a lifeline are dashed as regional demand drops.

UK company Eurasian Natural Resources is among the mining firms that is curbing expansion plans due to the global economic downturn.

The East has outpaced the West in terms of growth in entrepreneurship during the past decade, according to new data from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The financial turmoil and forecasted global economic recession does not bode well for privatisation initiatives under way. Already several upcoming deals have been postponed, re-evaluated, or deferred to a later date, on account of the global crisis.

The Egyptian government is no stranger to lawsuits from unhappy foreign investors. However, the outcome of several recent World Bank arbitrations suggests that the government is not always at fault when the allegations start flying.

FDI is expected to fall between 12% and 15% next year after reaching record levels in 2008, according to the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA).

US freight organisation SEKO Worldwide has gone through several incarnations to become a major player in the freight sector, and now has its sights set on Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Chief executive Bill Wascher talks to Lara Williams.

TNT, the mail and logistics firm, is investing $128m in its Vietnam-based network, with a new centre planned for Hanoi, which the company has pinpointed as a strategic link for distribution into China and Singapore, writes Lara Williams.

While information technology outsourcing has the potential to boost business efficiency, it can be very hard to keep everyone concerned in sight of the full picture without sound knowledge transfer, says Graham Underwood.

Fiscal measures earmarked by president-elect Barack Obama to help US industry compete in the global marketplace.

Multinational diamond mining company De Beers is facing a potential law suit over claims of monopolistic behaviour, once again raising concern about the fairness to host countries of foreign mining firms operating abroad.

US grain producer Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) will invest $500m over the next seven years in Brazil’s biofuels sector, while the US market continues to decline.

ENGINES AND TURBINES
Pratt & Whitney in Montreal

Pratt & Whitney, part of US-based United Technologies, will invest more than $360m in R&D in Canada, in the next three years, following the Quebec government’s decision to provide the company with reimbursable support for R&D. Investissement Québec will invest $125m during the same period to support Pratt & Whitney’s R&D activities in Longueuil, Quebec.

As a new administration prepares to assume office, it confronts substantial challenges, including several that will impact upon investment into and from the US:

During his term of office, the outgoing governor of Missouri has sought to cash in on changing investment habits as the focus of many companies moves from coastal America to the lower-cost midwest. He talks to Lara Williams.

Oil Tycoon T Boone Pickens is investing billions in building the world’s largest wind farm in Texas, which in turn will free up more natural gas for transportation and reduce US reliance on oil. Karen E Thuermer reports.

Arizona’s weather is a major draw for renewable energy companies but the state has also created an excellent investment environment, writes Karen E Thuermer.

Colombia’s international reputation over the past few decades has taken a few blows, but ANH Colombia – an administrative unit which manages the nation’s hydrocarbon resources – is making great strides in promoting the country as am oil and gas hub. Chief executive Jose Armando Zamora Reyes tells fDi how this has been achieved.

Honduras’ free trade zones and efficient export operations are its trump card, writes Karen E Thuermer.

Nicaragua’s access to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as its growing reputation as a place of business that is safe, cost-competitive and red-tape free, is attracting investors’ attention.

PepsiCo is to push ahead with expansion into China with a $1bn investment in plant, distribution and R&D capacity.

International firms investing in India are facing growing concerns about the risk of operating there following the worst terrorist attacks the country has ever seen.

The government of Indonesia has been accused of sending mixed messages in an investment policy u-turn, which leaves the maximum limit of foreign ownership in a telecoms company obscure.

COAL, OIL & NATURAL GAS
Mitsubishi and CLP venture

Mitsubishi corporation, Japan’s largest trading house, and CLP Holdings have joined forces with Vietnam’s state-owned utility to build a $2bn coal-fired power plant in the country.

The November 20 International Monetary Fund (IMF) G-20 Summit headline screamed: “World leaders launch action plan to combat financial crisis”. The IMF, World Bank and G-20 are bailing out several governments; banks are bailing out Asian companies; and pawnshops, money lenders and loan sharks are bailing out Asian individuals.

Tatsuo Yada, the mayor of Kobe, Japan, explains to Courtney Fingar how the setting up of a major laboratory in the city is attracting the attention of other health companies.

Although GM has opted for temporary closure of its Korean plants to ride out the slowdown, growth potential in China means the outlook in Asia remains positive, as Nick Reilly, president of GM Asia-Pacific, tells Lara Williams.

Following several solid years of FDI growth, China’s government is addressing where the gaps are and how they can best be plugged, writes Amy Sommers.

Ireland’s 12.5% corporation tax entices Facebook to relocate in Dublin alongside other internet giants.

It may not have a sexy image, but transport is an important element of Europe’s economy. It is an area where Europe has a strong competitive edge in technology, and where further investment could help to keep the region’s economy moving during the downturn.

The French government has invited foreign firms to take part in a joint venture with its state-owned finance house in a move to protect French firms from foreign buyouts.

Foreign investors pulling out of Georgia following the country’s conflict with Russia have left a $3bn shortfall of funds needed to maintain economic stability over the next three years, according to a report published by the World Bank in October.

AEROSPACE
New Ryanair base in Italy

Ireland’s airline operator Ryanair is planning an expansion in Italy with a new base in Trapani. Ryanair’s new routes will connect Trapani with Paris’s Beauvais airport, Brussels’s Charleroi airport, Oslo’s Torp airport, and Venice’s Treviso and Turin airports.

French automotive giants Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroën and are bolstering their overseas presence. Karen E Thuermer reports on both companies’ strategies to rise above the gloom descending on the car manufacturing sector.

With a highly qualified human resource pool, it makes sense for the Canary Islands to focus the lion’s share of its 2009 budget on innovation, José Manuel Soria, regional minister of economy and finance, tells Jules Stewart.

The Canary Islands, One of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, offers more than sun and sand. Its proximity to Africa and favourable tax system are proving a big draw for investors. Jules Stewart reports.

Suspension of rail contract highlights risk of government interference for foreign investors in Nigeria.

Kuwait’s government has ordered the establishment of a long-term investment fund to maintain confidence in the economy after a stock market closure indicated that the country is not immune to the global economic downturn.

African leaders of three major trading blocs in the continent have agreed to the creation of a free trade zone to ease intra-regional trade. The agreement is expected to give the region’s nations increased negotiating power when striking international deals.

COAL, OIL AND GAS
Oil refinery for Chad

China National Petroleum is building a refinery in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, which is scheduled to refine 20,000 barrels a day (b/d) from 2011, rising later to 60,000 b/d. Plans for the refinery include a power station that will provide about 20 megawatts of power to the capital, increasing the country’s installed capacity by about two-thirds.

In this column last edition, one wondered whether the Arabian Gulf and Africa were sheltered from the current economic and financial storm of biblical proportions. The answer is not totally – but in the midst of the turmoil, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region is well placed to emerge as the new leading global player.

Jordan’s trade and industry minister tells Lara Williams that despite not being blessed with natural resources, by investing in its young workforce and tightening economic policy, the country can boost its competitiveness.

Africa’s economies hope the financial crisis will give them the chance to offer a solution to the rest of the world, writes Courtney Fingar.

Private equity is setting its sights on Africa as a relatively low-risk destination at a time of financial turbulence, writes Michael Deibert.

As its ministry of transport steers Egypt towards public-private partnerships in road and rail, investment opportunities are also to be found in the country’s rapidly growing maritime sector. Lara Williams reports.

Dubai is the top city in fDi’s latest Middle East ranking and Jebel Ali is the top free zone. Charles Piggott reports on the leaders.

Sheldon Fink, CEO of PBI Aqaba, explains how the industrial estate the firm is constructing in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone is rapidly filling up with firms from sectors including metals, engineering and hi-tech.

Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, director-general of the Department of Economic Development, Dubai, talks about the emirate’s highly developed trade links, economic zones and infrastructure, and its advanced understanding of investors’ objectives and expectations.

Abu Dhabi Ports Company is undertaking many infrastructure expansion projects across the emirate, which will have an impact at local, national and international level. The company tells fDi how its plans are developing.

Lara Williams examines the influence of tax regimes on business investment, and exposes a tangled system in need of reform.

Izmir, Shanghai and Tunis are among the top cities showcased in fDi’s automotive sector rankings, while Detroit holds the top spot in the Americas.

Problems in the automotive sector are hitting suppliers hard – and the outlook is set to get worse. Lillie Guyer reports.

Effective supply chain management has become essential to companies wanting to expand globally, with those showing the greatest flexibility enjoying the most success. By Lara Williams.

By introducing compulsory, non-market-driven tools in the private sector, state agencies risk stifling innovation, writes Meir Pugatch.

Over the past five years, transportation has become the fourth most valuable crossborder investment sector in the world, accounting for 5% of global capital investment.

For decades, Ras Al Khaimah has played a supporting role to nearby behemoths Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The past few years, however, have seen GDP growth rocket and the industry and tourism sectors take off, as the emirate carves its own niche in an oil-rich region.

Investors in Ras Al Khaimah are reaping the benefits of an emirate that is blessed with rich lime deposits, a burgeoning tourism sector and a lucrative real estate industry, all within a few hours of the Middle East’s major cities. Tom Blass reports.

His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and deputy ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, tells fDi that as long as the emirate utilises its excellent location and cheap cost of business then the credit crisis should be viewed as an opportunity, not a problem.

Dr Khater Massad, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority, tells fDi why the emirate is an ideal location for European and Asian companies looking for a low-cost destination that is well placed to ride out the credit crisis.

An influx of foreign workers has left Ras Al Khaimah with aproperty shortage – soon to be remedied by a raft of new developments. Tom Blass reports.

Sun, sea, sand, serenity: Ras Al Khaimah has all of the lifestyle attributes needed to attract long- and short-term visitors, which stands the emirate in good stead as it looks to boost its tourism profile. Tom Blass reports.