Maghreb: Tunisia, FDI Tower of Babel

The Mediterranean investment projects observatory  (MIPO) released a study providing an overview of FDI in the Mediterranean countries for the years 2007-2008, including the  main Maghreb countries, namely Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
As regards Tunisia , 150 investment transactions were recorded involving investors from almost all continents except  Bermuda from Latin  America. The prize goes to Europe, especially EU countries lead  by  France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland and Austria, in addition to Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey.
The Asian ones  are mainly Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India and nearby continental Australia. As far as Arab countries are concerned, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Libya, Morocco, Egypt.
The African continent is represented only by South Africa.
Finally, the North American continent is a major issuer of FDI to Tunisia through the USA and Canada.
The range of host sectors of these investments is as vast and varied  including aerospace, shipbuilding, railways, food, automotive components, chemicals, plastics, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, electronic components The mechanical and metallurgical industry, metal recycling, construction materials including cement, wood, paper, glass, furniture, besides  public works, housing and transport.
In addition we find energy, textiles & clothing, consulting and business services, information technology, the software industry, Internet and telecommunications, banking, insurance and financial services, tourism and catering.
As for  Morocco,  the number of companies that have invested during the years 2007-2008 posts over a hundred than those in Tunisia during the same period, totalling about 250.
Investors are  from the same countries as those present in Tunisia with a predominance of French, Spanish, Americans, Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE with some other investors Brazil, Singapore, New Zealand …
The singularity of FDI drained by Morocco is  that they are issued by large multinational brands, such as the giant Kraft food which injected eg 22 million dollars in the capital of its Moroccan subsidiary, or Danish shipping company Maersk which opened a customer service center in Casablanca or the U.S. laboratory  Procter & Gamble which unveiled a 600 million MAD plan to expand its site in Mohammedia, besides the U.S. Dell that created  500 jobs in a centre for offshore services, Readers Digest, Boeing, AT & T U.S. telecommunications giant, Fruit of the loom, the Russian gas giant Gazprom whose real estate has created a subsidiary to manage three projects in the North of the country.
Algeria:  Americans step down
Between Tunisia and Morocco we find  Algeria with about 180 foreign investment projects  during the years 2007-2008. Americans are rare, almost non-existent, even in their chosen field, namely energy that has been won by countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates …
The point is  that  the banking sector, insurance and financial services  mobilized a significant investment, mainly through subsidiaries and branches opened by the great names of French finance, including PNP Paribas , Société Générale and the German Deutsche Bank. There are also financial  institutions from  Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and Lebanon.
Regarding the Tunisian investors, they include the  Finance and Management Company, the pharmaceuticals group Boujbel / Médis, Poulina / Carthago Ceramic, Bayah / TPR and   Hadjeb el Ayoun.spinning company.