fDi Markets figures show that Iraq joined the rankings in tenth place and Jordan came in seventh place overtaking both Morocco and Tunisia.

Oman and Nigeria have both dropped out of the top ten destinations, while the top 6 countries - the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain - remain strong and their positions unchanged, despite all of them seeing a decrease.

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The UAE, which topped the list, saw the biggest decrease in investment figures with 142 fewer projects in 2010 than in 2009 going from 401 to 259.

Overall there was a 23% decrease in the total number of investments into the top 10 countries in the region from 2009 to 2010.  

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