Political Unrest and Investment Opportunities in the Middle East
Seoul, Friday, November 7, 2014 – The Asia Society Korea Center hosted Mr.Saad Al-Ali, the Editor in Chief of KUNA (Kuwait News Agency) who gave a lecture on issues pertaining to the Middle East. As an accomplished journalist and lecturer on Middle East policies, Mr. Saad Al-Ali provided insights into “Business and Investment Opportunities in Light of the Changes and its Political Stability in the Eyes of Foreign Investors.” With his extensive experience in the Middle East and beyond, Mr. Al-Ali was able to focus on both the socio- and geo-political issues in the region in order to advise Korean companies who are considering investing in the Middle East.
Mr. Al-Ali began his lecture by talking about the vast political changes that have taken place in the Middle East since the 2010 incident when a Tunisian fruit vendor set fire to himself in protest against the government. Mr. Al-Ali claimed the “Arab Spring” has passed its peak and many areas of the Middle East are slowly turning towards more democratized governments. In light of this, he also noted that ISIS, which began as “no bigger than a football team”, has developed into an organization that is unlikely to be eradicated by US airstrikes alone. Mr. Al-Ali gave his sober judgment that countries moving from dictatorship to democracy can undergo a painful and a slow transformation, as seen in Iraq over the last ten years.
Mr. Al-Ali stated that while Korean companies' fears and worries were not irrational, it would be beneficial to educate Korean companies on areas in the Middle East that are safe and fertile for foreign investments. The Q&A session that followed Mr. Al- Ali’s lecture provided another unique perspective on investment opportunities given the current political unrest in the Middle East.