The big swing in global market activity towards the East is being led by the economic boom of two of the world’s largest populations, China and India. The recent historic visit of Saudi King Abdullah II to India with the launch of major economic deals signaled the extent to which major economies of the Muslim world have realized this potential. With close proximity and traditionally strong bonds, the Muslim world’s corporate sector is primed to creatively take advantage of the Indian and Chinese market opportunities

Also, in the wake of September 11, 2001, many of the Muslim world’s investors have been looking for sound investments closer to home. This, along with the boom in oil based revenues, has led to increased investment and trade activity amongst OIC member countries.

Recent Telecom and Real Estate deals all point to this growing trend being led by (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Egypt) companies such as Saudi Oger, Etisalat, Emaar Properties, DP World, and Orascom Telecom. Common industry clusters and complimentary industries stand to gain from this trend.

The above investments are happening accross a variety of industries and not limited to the dominant energy sectors. PWC, in a recent report, highlighted the Finance, Healthcare, and Entertainment industries as the three most significant non-oil growth industries in Arab countries.