Syria attracted USD 1.5 billion in foreign direct investments in 2009, according to a report by the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation.
The figure represents a decline of 28.4% compared to the 2008 figure of USD 2.1 billion. In 2008, Syria had posted a 70% year-on-year increase in its investments compared to 2007.
The report, entitled the Investment Climate in the Arab World, provides only preliminary figures for 2010. However, it points out to a general decline in FDI across the Arab World due to the global economic and financial crisis. The report does not provide a country-by-country analysis of the reasons of the decline.
Some Arab countries have performed better than others and have managed to post an increase in FDI, including Qatar, Lebanon, Sudan and Iraq.
Out of the 18 countries survey in the report Syria ranked 11th. Saudi Arabia ranked first and Mauritania last.
Foreign Direct Investment in Arab Countries (2008-2009; USD, billion)
2008
2009
2008/09*
1
Saudi Arabia
38.2
35.5
-6.9
2
Qatar
6.7
8.7
30.2
3
UAE
13.7
8.6
-37.2
4
Egypt
9.5
6.7
-29.3
5
Lebanon
3.6
4.8
6
Sudan
2.6
2.9
12.4
7
Morocco
6.3
2.5
8
Jordan
2.8
2.4
9
Algeria
2.28
2.31
1.3
10
Tunisia
2.73
1.77
-35.2
11
Syria
2.1
1.5
-28.4
12
Iraq
0.48
0.92
88.5
13
Libya
4.1
0.48
-79.5
14
Yemen
0.41
0.65
57.6
15
Bahrain
1.8
0.25
-85.7
16
Kuwait
0.05
0.14
17
Djibouti
0.25
0.10
-60.8
18
Mauritania
0.103
0.08
-18.7
*Preliminary
Source: Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation
