The Middle East's merger and acquisition activity continues to recover, despite political unrest in the region.

Inward foreign investment levels in Kuwait have consistently decreased over the past four years, with capital investment levels falling by as much as 60% in 2009, according to fDi Markets data.

Chinese companies are showing increasing appetite for investment abroad, with outward FDI project figures nearly quadrupling in the past seven years.

In the final four months of 2011, crossborder capital outflows from emerging markets increased to pre-crisis levels. But with asset prices stagnating in these markets, the economic potential of emerging economies is being called into question.

Brazil, Russia, India and China have all witnessed rapid economic growth in recent years, but according to a study by Maplecroft, the economies of all four emerging countries are ill-prepared for major risk events such as pandemics, terrorism and climate change. 

In 2011 record levels of Indian FDI capital was invested into the African manufacturing sector.

Kenya's economic growth in 2012 will only just surpass that of 2011 and is far slower than in other East Africa Community countries, according to research by Roubini Global Economics.