Family businesses and private equity

As the states of the MENA region attempt to cut back their role in the economy, and the Gulf states in particular attempt to move away from their dependence on oil, private sector firms are emerging as the key to achieving sustainable economic growth. Although the region’s economies remain dominated by the public sector, private firms have recorded impressive growth in recent years in much of the Middle East and north Africa.

Despite such growth, the private sector’s share of economic activity remains small, and within that, the family-run business remains king.