Arab Spring hope.

Despite economic slowdown and political upheaval, a number of logistics professionals see the so-called Arab Spring countries as more attractive places to do business, according to a new study by Agility. Attractiveness is measured by market size and growth, market compatibility (foreign direct investment, security, urbanisation and wealth distribution) and market connectedness (international and domestic transport infrastructure), said the 'Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index.' About 43 per cent of respondents view the Arab Spring phenomenon as making the region either more attractive or much more attractive as an investment target, with a further 24 per cent seeing 'no impact' from the tumult of the past year. Global economic uncertainty and Middle East political turmoil were doing little to dim the attraction of emerging markets, which showed signs of reducing their dependency on developed markets as they compete to be the trade hubs of the future, the study added. The study, sponsored by global logistics provider Agility, was compiled by Transport Intelligence, a leading provider of expert research and analysis to the global logistics industry. As part of the Index, 550 senior logistics executives were surveyed, making this the biggest survey to date in the emerging markets logistics sector. For the first time, the Index offers trade lane analysis from 2005 to 2011. The annual Index spotlights 41 emerging markets and ranks them by their investment potential and progress each year. While emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India cannot avoid the impact of economic downturns in the US and Europe, the Index points to developments that are providing a cushion.

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