The political instability that has engulfed Egypt since the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak has threatened to further suppress the country's FDI inflows and has led to a huge decline in tourism. But with a new democratically elected government, stability should return and with it investor confidence.

For years, Tajikistan's economy has been heavily reliant on remittances from Russia, with a severe lack of private investment from both foreign and domestic business. But while Western companies remain cautious about entering the country, the former Soviet republic's vast gold and silver deposits could yet provide a China-fuelled investment boom.

Reviving the US manufacturing industry could cure the country of its economic and employment ills. But convincing companies to relocate is proving difficult, even with the price of offshoring to China on the up.

As the capacity for embassies and diplomats to target and attract investment grows, countries are becoming increasingly eager to restructure their operations in a bid to best utilise these new promotional agents.

Increased demand for private education, particularly in developing countries, has created a multitude of opportunities for private investors. But while education might seem a sound investment, there are complex ideological and logistical problems facing companies choosing to enter this somewhat controversial market.

Malaysia's government is targeting achieving high-income status by 2020, and sees foreign investment as being crucial to it realising this goal. However, it is wary of the country's economy being overdependent on business from overseas.

The rising price of labour is one reason for the decline in automotive manufacturing in the UK in recent years, but this has not stopped Japanese car manufacturer Toyota from increasing its operations in the country. UK deputy managing director Tony Walker explains why such labour costs should not stop the UK from being a successful car producing country.