While FDI numbers increased in the Middle East and Africa in 2011, capital investment was down slightly and job creation only showed a slight rise.

In many of the world's major cities, traffic gridlock comes as standard. With such high number of vehicles on the roads leading to heavy pollution and frustratingly long commuting times, the case for mass rapid-transit systems is becoming increasingly difficult for many cities to ignore.

Oil reserves discovered in Uganda have the potential to transform the economic status of one of the world's least developed countries. But ongoing political friction in the country and indecision over the laws pertaining to the extraction of the oil are causing concerns about just how beneficial the money from these reserves will be to the country as a whole.

The Zambian economy has been growing apace in recent years, but with the country largely reliant on its mining industry and many of the proceeds from this sector not benefiting local people, the government is offering incentives for investment in other sectors.

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.