Regional Risks for Doing Business

As the COVID-19 health emergency continues, understanding the broader economic and societal consequences is critical to navigating the unfolding crisis and eventual recovery.

Results from the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Executive Opinion Survey offer insights into how business leaders globally perceive the ramifications of the crisis for local economies and societies.

Middle East and North Africa Regional Risks

Watch the below video for a breakdown of the risk landscape within the MENA region along with steps that businesses can take to improve their resilience.

Key takeaways

• The top ranking of unemployment and fiscal crisis underline the strain of COVID-19 on businesses and governments. Finding a resolution to both health and economic emergencies while providing sustainable safety nets and economic recovery plans is critical.
• The meteoric rise of “spread of infectious diseases” to number two globally shows how risks can blindside societies and impact businesses’ supply chains and revenue catastrophically. Businesses may struggle to predict the exact conditions of the next crisis, but they can sharpen their understanding of vulnerability and risk management strategies to disruptive scenarios.
• Technological risks are manifesting themselves in increasingly varied ways across the global risk landscape. Of course, business leaders need to concern themselves with rising cyber threats, especially as digital dependency increases. However, they also increasingly need to anticipate how advanced technologies may be misused in different ways and acknowledge their role in supporting the rise in misinformation that is increasing societal polarization and contributing to a more volatile business environment.