Growth — The Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and the Pacific estimates growth for the region to increase this year to 5.5% from 5.3% in 2016. Growth will remain strong at 5.4% in 2018, as the region continues to be the leader of global growth.
Infrastructure — The Chinese government is investing tens of billions of dollars as part of an ambitious economic plan to rebuild ports, roads and rail networks. China's President Xi Jinping has pledged $124 billion for the scheme, known as the Belt and Road initiative.
FDI — Foreign direct investment in Turkey increased by 43% in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year, reaching around $1.7 billion.
Oil & Gas — China's Middle East energy footprint has been expanding. In February, it made a deal for a stake in Abu Dhabi’s onshore oil. In March, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz travelled to China to strengthen trade ties, and now a Chinese consortium is lining up for a stake in the Aramco IPO.
Renewables — Renewable energy investment reached a record high in Australia last year, according to a new report issued by the Clean Energy Regulator.
High-Tech — The past two decades has seen mobile technology progress from a people-to-people technology (3G) to people-to-information connectivity (4G). While this step revolutionised how people communicate and conduct commerce, the next generation of mobile technology — 5G — promises far greater technological and economic transformations with the potential to re-shape industrial and consumer activity.
Aviation — With the Middle East on track to see a two-fold growth in air traffic within years, the value of 152 active aviation-related projects in the region rose to Dh211 billion ($57.4 billion) in April 2017 regardless of a huge drop in oil revenues.
Healthcare — Slowly but surely, health is becoming a business in Africa. As countries urbanise, disease patterns change and more people become able to pay for healthcare or buy health insurance. Private companies sense an opportunity.