The latest edition of the global management consulting firm A.T Kearney’s Global Services Location Index (GSLI), ranked Tunisia as the 17 th most attractive offshoring destination in the world.
The GSLI which analyzes and ranks the top 50 countries worldwide for locating outsourcing activities bases its index on 43 measurements, grouped in 3 categories: financial attractiveness, people and skills and availability and business environment.
Noting that the geography of offshoring is rapidly shifting, the index stresses the fact that the Middle East and North Africa is emerging as a key offshoring region because of its large, well educated population and its proximity to Europe.
“The area has the potential to redraw the offshoring map and in the process bring much needed opportunities for its large underemployed educated class”, says Johan Gott, project manager for the GSLI.
3000 foreign companies are currently operating in Tunisia. The country which has massively invested in promoting its human resources, has earmarked 7, 5% of its GDP to the sector of education and 1, 25% in scientific research and innovation.
Thanks to the setting up of 3 additional engineering schools, the country will train 7000 engineers by 2011-2012, as against 4000 currently.
Tunisia which was ranked 26 th in the 2007 GSLI index has won 9 places and is the third Arab country after Egypt (6 th) and Jordan (9 th). The UAE are 29 th and Morocco is ranked 30 th. Topping the list is India (1 st), China (2 nd) and Malaysia (3 rd).
