Singapore may be the leading international financial centre in south-east Asia, but Kuala Lumpur is looking to narrow the gap through becoming a regional hub for Islamic finance as well as catering for more conventional financial institutions through its Tun Razak Exchange.

The economic crisis of 2008 and beyond made its presence felt across the property markets of the Gulf Co-operation Council, with some countries affected worse than others. Among the hardest hit was Dubai, but the emirate is showing strong signs of recovery.

The rising price of oil coupled with newfound environmental concerns have left many countries looking to source alternative energy supplies and biofuel – long used in households across Africa – has emerged as one potential source of alternative energy. But as investors look to exploit biofuel's potential, questions are already being raised about the sustainability of the sector.

While South Korean firms have profited greatly from making investments abroad, the country's GDP is failing to reflect their success. If the domestic economy is to grow in the same way as the large conglomerates, the South Korean government must look to close the gap between investments going in and out of the country by attracting more FDI.