First investment map for the Arab states

The secretary general of the Arab economic unity council Ahmad Jweili has unveiled that the council will complete within 60 days the first investment map in the Arab states that will bring full details about investment opportunities in all investment areas and will be a means that provides the Arab and the foreign investors, alike with enough information about investment in the Arab states.

Jweili explained that the council received from the Arab states all information about available investment opportunities, noting that as from April several Forums on investment will be convened and that the first one will be in Damascus and the second will be in Summer in Cairo.

Jweili added that the volume of Arab assets invested and existing abroad is estimated at USD 2400 billion, according to several estimates. He added that the Arab region is one of the largest areas yet with less attraction to investment. He added that a strategy was laid for the common economic Arab work along two decades 2000- 2020 and its executive program has been drawn on four main components: the free trade zone; the inter- Arab trade, the crossing trade development and the customs federation.

He said that so far the Arab states have not realized the fact that more than 50% of the world trade passes though the Arab states especially the Sues Canal, the Arab Gulf and the Mediterranean and what the Arabs are getting does not exceed transit fees and services.