ING's MENA head: North African unrest will boost structural recovery

Current political turmoil in North Africa will accelerate rather than derail a long-term structural change going on in the region, according to Fadi Al Said, head of Mena investment at ING Investment Management.

Said said with 50% of the region’s population under the age of 20 reform will become more of a priority and there will be an acceleration in the rapid infrastructure. He commented: “The region has been undergoing a political, social and economic change for a number of years and the events we are seeing will just accelerate this. “There will not be contagion in the region, it is more complicated than that, but there is a major transformational process under way.” He said the US has increased its aid to Egypt since the crisis had started and Saudi Arabia has $5bn available to invest the...