Libya

Despite ongoing diversification projects, oil will remain the mainstay of the economy moving forward, and continued high prices will help Libya maintain its growth.

We have upgraded Libya's score for social stability to reflect its low inflation levels, which has pushed up our overall short-term political risk ratings. Despite its abundant liquidity,... 2007-12-19

With oil prices riding high, we see Libya maintaining its large current account surplus in 2008, on the back of lack hydrocarbons exports. We forecast the current account balance... 2007-11-26

We remain sanguine on Libya's short-term political outlook. We have recently highlighted its improving relations with the US, but Libya is also making efforts to increase ties with... 2007-11-23

BMI View: Expansion within the all-important hydrocarbons sector should continue apace, helping to deliver real GDP growth of around 4-5% over the forecast period. We anticipate the... 2007-11-09

BMI View: Elevated oil prices should provide an extra boost to Libya's current account. We expect a surplus of around 17% of GDP both this year and in 2008.

The US has decided not to campaign against Libya's bid to join the UN Security Council. Libya is seeking a rotating seat as a non-permanent member of the council for a two-year term;... 2007-10-03

BMI View: We expect a significant drop in GDP growth this year, to 5.3% y-o-y from an estimated 7.5% y-o-y in 2006. Still, the economy should remain on a healthy trajectory, posting... 2007-10-03

BMI View: Although market orientation is currently a blight on the business environment of all the North African nations, we believe risks are very much to the upside. Indeed, serious... 2007-10-02

BMI View: The plan to create a huge eco-tourism area could be good news for FDI if investor appetite is sufficiently strong. At present, however, we feel the business environment... 2007-09-25