Decrease in direct foreign investments to the Middle East

European economic sources stated today in Cairo that at a time in which the world direct foreign investments increased by 38.7% to reach $643.9 billion in 1998, the outflows of these investments to the Middle East and North African decreased by 6% to reach $7.3 billion.

The sources said the world investment report which is issued from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said the outflows to the Middle East and North Africa attracted 1.1% of the international percentage in a decrease in 1997.