CbI draws on the experience and competencies of its staff and associates in several areas of commerce and economic development, which coupled with in-depth knowledge of the Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East regions allows us to provide the 'local knowledge', and commercial or economic development insights required by clients developing commercial and economic development strategies in emerging markets.

Current and recent work includes the following sample projects:

Ground-breaking Iraq debt report

• Drawing up a detailed analysis of Iraq's foreign debt for a bulge-bracket investment bank.
  
  
• In the immediate run-up to the 2003 US invasion, CbI prepared a detailed analysis of Iraq's external debt - including classification of which classes of debt were involved and even potential future secondary market plays, as well as a range of potential policy options for managing these obligations in the likely confusion that would follow Saddam Hussein's overthrow.
  
  
• This report was used by the bank to prepare for subsequent activity in the secondary markets (where it has a dominant position) and was also shown to key players - the US Treasury and No 10 Downing St policy unit. The bank acknowledged later it helped them to win the biggest financial sector contract awarded during the first phase of the occupation.
  
  
• CbI has carried out subsequent monitoring of trends in the Iraqi debt issue.

African energy fund project

• Providing an intellectual framework for, and the subsequent development of, an African energy fund for a European merchant bank.
  
  
• CbI started by analysing various African energy markets and identifying possible opportunities (national and sectoral) in a 10,000-word study;
  
  
• Following on from this, we developed ideas working with the bank and produced a Private Information Memorandum for the fund, with a full analysis of the risks and opportunities in upstream, downstream and power investments in Africa.
  
  
• CbI also helped with refining the project and marketing (our design department even worked on logos for the Fund).

Government advice on export credits and other aspects of risk mitigation

• Commissioned by a major London-based consultancy (who knew of CbI's strong positioning in the export credit industry), we advised one of the Gulf's largest Finance Ministries on strategies for assessing the efficacy of and supporting foreign investments made by companies based in the ministry's own country.
  
  
• This resulted in a long analytical report covering (a) the global state of export credit agencies, (b) the desirability of this government establishing an ECA.

Input into the Nepad process

• Commissioned by a major London-based consultancy (who knew of CbI's strong North African track record and ability to take on multi-disciplinary projects), we advised a North African government on public and private sector investment strategies in the transportation and industrial sectors.
  
  
• This fed directly into its contribution to the New Partnership for Africa's Development process. North African media project
  
  
• Analysing a major North African media market for opportunities in the publishing industry.
  
  
• Drawing up plans for a newspaper to fill the market niche exposed by the report.
  
  
• Input into the newspaper group's wider strategy.

West African media project

• We carried out similar work to the above exploring potential West African media markets for a Moroccan company.

Analysis of Guinea's offshore oil potential

• Analysis of the complex political situation in Guinea and how this might impact on the oil industry.
  
  
• Three detailed reports compiled by CbI's Conakry correspondent and staff commissioned via a UK-based consultancy.

Devising a communications strategy for a higher education institution in the Gulf

• Compiling a major editorial project for a new, ambitious higher education institution, which entailed helping to think out policy directions, as well as more standard editorial responsibilities.