Dr Vahdettin Ertaş, Chairman of the Capital Markets Board of Turkey, speaks to World Report about how the restructuring of the Turkish banking sector after Turkey’s economic crisis in 2001 it has become one of the major banking systems in the world with regard to soundness and profitability. He also discusses how the new capital market law “ is a milestone for us to ready our markets to realize the Vision 2023.”

From the outset, Ecobank Nigeria was designed – and destined – to be a regional banking leader, with the belief “that there was room for a regional bank to interconnect West Africa” and promote interregional trade. Jibril Aku, Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, discusses the nation’s banking sector, its potential as a regional hub, and how Ecobank can offer investors a single, region-wide entry point to “hit the ground running” in a variety of markets.

Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al Ahmad Al-Sabah, Chief of the Kuwait Foreign Investment Bureau (KFIB), tells World Report about the country’s plans to expedite investments and business partnerships, and the bureau’s strong focus on UK-Kuwaiti ties

The Dominican Republic, which is looking to continue to harness the tourism boom so as to drive economic growth, has proven its ability to build quality infrastructure and thus, its future

A small building in the Rawda area of Kuwait brings hope to parents of children with autism. At the Kuwait Center for Autism, 100 children receive special care and assistance to develop their potential, and to help them to understand the world in which we live

According to the World Health Organization, 347 million people worldwide have diabetes. In the Gulf area, the incidence of this chronic disease is high and growing

On February 8, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the first business simulation laboratory (BSL) in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. Sponsored by Beloxxi Industries Ltd, the ultra-modern facility narrows the business theory-practice gap for students at the University of Lagos and prepares them for the real world of business

Representative of the high quality products for which the Turkey brand has become renowned, Kingspan Izopoli makes the only FM-approved fire resistant panels and insulation products in the region. In fact it is one of only 40 countries worldwide providing this insurance industry-preferred know-how. Dr Suat Kıroğlu, Vice-Chairman of Kingspan Izopoli, discusses the rapid expansion of his company through building good working relations and providing expanding markets in North Africa, Eastern Europe and Afghanistan with superior quality, readily assembled products that ideally fit their needs.

Upper Reach meets with Danica Fleischerová, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of VUKI, who discusses her company’s standing in the electrotechnical sector in Slovakia and beyond, and her plans to take the business into more challenging markets

The government has targeted education as a key sector in bringing Kuwait back to its former glory as the region’s “shining star” of social and economic development

The American School of Kuwait in Hawalli is a special center of learning

Of Kuwait’s nine colleges and universities, Kuwait University (KU) is the country’s oldest, largest and sole public institution of higher learning

Arão Nhancale, President of the City Council of Matola, shares with Upper Reach how Mozambique’s second largest city is laying the groundwork for increased industry and business as well as social development

According to Filipe Chimoio Paúnde, General Secretary of the incumbent Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), “It is the role of the state to apply the best policies for the benefit of everyone.” As such, the government is pulling out all the stops to ensure the country’s socioeconomic development is as widespread as possible and that the megaprojects under way positively impact on people’s lives in the surrounding communities. He speaks to Upper Reach about the importance of education and the role of women, and the government’s bid to improve and invest in the non-resource rich areas to generate an even income distribution and inclusive development.

The longstanding and incredibly close relations between Kuwait and the UK represent a genuine two-way street of social, cultural and economic exchange, understanding and respect. Frank Baker, the UK Ambassador to Kuwait, tells World Report that these ties are becoming even stronger and he urges UK-based businesses to take a moment to realise what Kuwait has to offer them as “there is a growing recognition that what you get with British companies is the best in the world and long-term solutions”.

As the first Kuwaiti governorate to export oil to Britain in 1946, Al-Ahmadi enjoys the reputation of being “the home of Kuwaiti oil” and “where everything happens” in the emirate. Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, Governor of Al-Ahmadi, speaks to World Report about his governorate’s history, its rapid recovery from the Iraqi invasion’s scorched earth policy, the raft of new projects under way, and the warm welcome that awaits international investors.

A landmark project both physically and historically, the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Dam, or Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), is a source of intense national pride and an essential lever for the development of Mozambique.

The wide array of support services Nigeria’s Japaul Oil & Maritime Services Plc provides to the country’s energy and mining sectors, which fall into five broad categories: oil and gas services, marine and logistic support services, dredging and reclamation works, offshore vessel chartering, and road transportation and logistical services. Group Managing Director Paul Jegede tells World Report about how legislation in the mining sector is taking shape, Japaul’s pride in its operational safety and security record, the culture of shared aspirations at the company, and the management’s insistence on integrity when it comes to joint ventures.

Holding a quarter of Mongolia’s telecom market and the largest CDMA 3G network in the country, Skytel Group is one of the industry’s leaders and going to great lengths to get Mongolians connected. In an interview with World Report, CEO D Bolor discusses the country’s rapidly expanding ICT sector, Skytel’s emphasis on rolling out new technology, its heightened customer service, ingrained CSR ethos, and the company’s mission to deliver smart products and services to every corner of the country.

Strategically located between the United States and South America, the Dominican Republic is a natural hub not only for regional trade, but also for the technology which runs our globalized world. And the country is proud of its status as one of the Latin American leaders in IT and telecommunications

This telecommunication company is modernizing the industry for the Caribbean Island

Akin Laoye, Executive Director of FTN Cocoa Processors Plc, speaks with World Report about the huge potential Nigerian agriculture holds, and discusses the role his company plays in boosting the sector

Tihomir Jakovina, Croatia’s Minister of Agriculture, hopes the country’s efforts to meet the various criteria and standards for EU accession will serve as a future model for other aspiring member nations and assure potential investors of the quality and possibilities that abound in its food production and processing industries

The conglomerate Flour Mills of Nigeria has increased its capacity to promote agriculture and development in Nigeria and to support the government’s economic policy

What better to accompany a decanter of cask-mellowed añejo rum than a fine hand-rolled cigar?

No question that the Dominican Republic has done very well out of steadily increasing foreign demand for its rum and quality hand-rolled cigars. Recent developments, however, may have added a note of uncertainty to prospects for these mainstays of the country’s export sector