Area: 41,293 sq km

Population: 8.0 million (July 2013 est.)

Capital: Berne

Principal Towns: The conurbations of Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne and Winterthur have populations of over 100,000 inhabitants.

Languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch are the official languages. English is widely spoken, particularly in business and commerce.

Gross Domestic Product: $362.4 billion (2012 est.)

Gross Domestic Product: $629.5 billion (2012 est.) (PPP)

GDP per capita (Nominal): $78,726 (2012 est.)

GDP per capita (PPP): $54,600 (2012 est.)

International reserves (of foreign exchange and gold): $331.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Climate: Switzerland's climate is a mixture of the major European climatic zones, due to the Alps, and is thus highly variable from place to place. Generally the summers are mild, about 25°C, and the winters cool at about 5°C.
 
DEMOGRAPHY

Population: 7,996,026 (July 2013 est.)

Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%

Age Distribution (2013 est.)
0-14 years: 15.2%
15-24 years: 11.6%
25-54 years: 44%
55-64 years: 12%
65 years and over: 17.3%

Population Growth 0.85% (2013 est.)
Education: Of total population 99% age 15 and over can read and write (2003).

GENERAL
The Swiss economy is among the world's most advanced and prosperous. Per capita income is virtually the highest in the world, as are wages. Trade has been the key to prosperity in Switzerland. The country is dependent upon export markets to generate income while dependent upon imports for raw materials and to expand the range of goods and services available in the country. Switzerland has liberal investment and trade policies, notwithstanding agriculture, and a conservative fiscal policy. The Swiss legal system is highly developed, commercial law is well defined, and solid laws and policies protect investments. The Swiss franc is one of the world's soundest currencies, and the country is known for its high standard of banking and financial services. Switzerland is a member of a number of international economic organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 released by the World Economic Forum, Switzerland tops the overall ranking in competitiveness for the third consecutive year, reflecting the country's sound institutional environment, excellent infrastructure, efficient markets, competent macroeconomic management, world-class educational attainment, and high levels of technological innovation, which boost Switzerland's competitiveness in the global economy. Northern and Western European countries dominate the top 10 with Sweden (3rd), Finland (4th), Germany (6th), the Netherlands (7th), Denmark (8th) and the United Kingdom (10th). Japan remains the second-ranked Asian economy at 9th place, despite falling three places since last year.

Travel to Switzerland:
From December 12, 2008 Switzerland is part of the Schengen Area, a zone covering 3.6 million square kilometres and offering unrestricted travel to 400 million Europeans. There will be no more passport checks at country frontiers, but police checks in the border zones will be stepped up. Goods traffic will still be subject to border searches, as Switzerland is not part of the EU customs union.

Visa Requirements: Most valid passports are recognized by the Swiss authorities for business or leisure visits; for precise details one should consult a Swiss consul or embassy before departing.

 Current local timeWeather Bern Geneva

Diplomatic representations of the Arab countries in Switzerland and Swiss representations in the Arab countries

Economy of Yemen

Yemen is a low income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Petroleum accounts for roughly 25% of GDP and 70% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources by diversifying its economy through an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. During the last ten years gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 4 per cent. In 2000 GDP was estimated at $9.7 billion, it increased to $16.7 billion in 2005 and to $25.1 billion in 2009 according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimations. GDP for 2010 was estimated at $30 billion.

Since the oil discovery, it can be seen important changes in the economic structure according to IMF data of GDP by kind of economic activity (1970-2009). The contribution of mining and industrial sector in the GDP, mainly because of oil production, had increased highly at the expense of the agriculture sector. While agricultural sector contribution were about 30% in the GDP compared to about 10% for mining and industrial sectors, in 2008 this percentage was less than 10% compared to more than 40% of GDP for mining and industrial sectors.

In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010, the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aims to support Yemen's efforts towards economic and political reform, and in August 2010 the IMF approved a three-year $370 million program to further this effort.

Yemen's national economy is almost paralyzed after the anti-regime protests severely affected key economic sectors. In less than a year, Yemen which was enjoying a steady growth rate and a development in all sectors of the industries is now facing a mounting deficit, an industrial crisis of momentous proportion, a serious cash flow problems as well as a banking crisis.

After shrinking by 12.7 percent in 2011 when political unrest crippled the economy, the IMF was predicting 4.8 percent expansion in 2013. The nominal gross domestic product was estimated at $32.2bn in 2012. The IMF estimates GDP to shrink more by -2.2% in 2014 before growing by 3.6% in 2015.

Essential Information

Area: 536,869 sq km
Population: 25,408,288 (2012 est.)
Capital: Sanaa
Principal Towns: Aden, Taiz, Hodeida.
Languages: Arabic is the official language, but English is widely used in business.
Gross Domestic Product: $ 3 6.4 billion (20 1 2 est.)
GDP per capita: $1433
International Reserves: $6.7 billion (2012 est.)
Climate: Yemen has two distinctive climatic areas; the Highlands, with an agreeable summer climate and frost, or even snow, in winter and the hot Coastal plain with sandstorms.
Currency: 1$ ≈ 214.975 Yemeni Rial (YER)
 
DEMOGRAPHY
Age Distribution (2012 est.)
0-14 years: 42%
15-24 years: 21.1%
25-54 years: 30.6%
55-64 years: 3.7%
65 years and over: 2.6%
 
Population Growth: 2.575% (2012 est.)
Education: 63.9% of the total population age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.).
 
Among the most compelling challenges that Yemen faces today is the rapid rate of population growth. Since 1975, Yemen’s population has grown by two and a half times reaching its current level of 23 million. The population is unevenly distributed over 19 governorates plus the capital city of Sana’a. Also, a fast growing urban population, growing at almost double the population growth rate, points to a high rate of internal migration – which leads to stress on the infrastructures of urban centres and the evacuation and neglect of rural areas.
 
NATURAL RESOURCES
Fossil Fuel
Petroleum
Minerals
Rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper.

Visa Requirements:

All arriving non-Yemeni visitors require visas which can be obtained from all embassies and consulates in the Arab world, except Morocco. The principle offices are; UK - London, France - Paris, Germany - Berlin, Switzerland - Geneva, Russia - Moscow, Czech Republic - Prague and the USA - New York and Washington. A visitor with the necessary visa wishing to stay for more than 15 days must register at the immigration office in Sanaa, Taiz or Hodeida and obtain an exit visa. Emergency visas can usually be obtained by bona fide travellers, at the airport, for some YR 10.

  Independence Day, 30 november. Unification Day, 22 May

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Diplomatic representation of Yemen in Switzerland

Economy of United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven different emirates which together comprise the third largest economy in the Middle East behind Saudi Arabia and Iran. Its per capita GDP is second after Qatar. The UAE is an important producer of natural gas and oil, ranking seventh globally in total proven reserves of both. Abu Dhabi possesses the majority of oil and natural gas reserves followed by Dubai, with small amounts in Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah. The country is also a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Despite having the most diversified economy in the Middle East, the UAE remains largely dependent upon the hydrocarbons sector for economic growth.

The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on diversification and creating more opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment.

UAE is a major contributor to the growth of the Middle East region. Over the past 42 years, the UAE’s GDP growth rate ballooned 200 times to $360 billion in 2012.

While Dubai’s activities may generate more headlines in the media, Abu Dhabi is the economic powerhouse among the emirates, owing to the fact that it possesses the lion’s share of hydrocarbon reserves. Accounting for 90 per cent of UAE oil and gas production, Abu Dhabi has more than 90,000 million barrels of recoverable crude and the world’s fifth largest deposits of natural gas.

Successful efforts at economic diversification have reduced the portion of GDP based on oil and gas output to 25%. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living.

UAE’s strong macroeconomic performance has been supported by solid macroeconomic policies (see Figure-4 for selected indicators). Economic growth in the UAE accelerated to 4.4 per cent in inflation-adjusted terms in 2012 from a downwardly revised 3.9% the previous year as activity picked up across all sectors, according to National Bureau of Statistics.

The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that in the coming 5- year period of 2012-2016 the average fiscal surplus will be 3.9% of GDP, current account surplus - 5.3% of GDP, trade surplus - 15.3% of GDP, and real GDP growth - 5.1% per annum.

One of the most important factors is the role played by good and stable oil prices in general over the last year. Oil prices averaged $112 per barrel last year, up from $109 in 2011. The non-oil sector share on the Gulf country's real GDP was estimated at 67.3% in 2012.

On the strength of its hydrocarbon sector the UAE is one of the world's wealthiest nations, with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (at current prices) estimated at $66,113 in 2012. Beyond the hydrocarbon economy—which continues to account for approximately 80 percent of total government revenues—the UAE is becoming one of the world's most important financial centers and a major trading center in the Middle East. Investments in infrastructure and technology, and the development of projects such as the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and other economic "free zones," continue to provide the UAE with insurance against oil price declines and global economic stagnation.

Since the bottom of the economic recession in 2009, the UAE solidified its economic portfolio, but it continues to rely on its vast hydrocarbon resources for the majority of its economic activity.

The economy was expected to continue to grow further to reach $395 billion in 2013 (3.6% growth) and as much as $410 billion in 2014.

An IMF report shows that the UAE economy accounted for more than a quarter of the GCC’s GDP of $1.482 trillion in 2012.

The contribution of the construction industry is particularly significant to the UAE economy, especially when massive investments received in this sector from both public and private enterprises are considered.

The political stability experienced by this country, its ability to attract international business and investment, its growing non-oil sector, tax-free environment and attractive salaries have lured builders, architects and consultants to UAE.

High public spending and a steady increase in private sector investment have enabled this country to maintain its position as the second-largest Gulf Arab economy after Saudi Arabia, and among the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Essential Information

Area: 83,600 sq km
Population: 5,473,972 (2012 est.)
Principal Towns: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ajman, Fujairah.
Languages: Arabic is the official language. English is frequently used in government and business circles.
Gross Domestic Product: $361.9 billion (2012 est.)
GDP per capita: $ 66,113 (2012 est.)
GDP per capita (PPP): $49,000 (2012 est.)
International Reserves: $40.8 billion (2012 est.)
Climate: The United Arab Emirates has an arid, sub-tropical climate with erratic and low rainfall. Rainfall, generally occurring in January and February, varies between 25 and 125 mm year-on-year, this can be higher in the mountains. Midday temperatures range between 38 degrees C and 47 degrees C in the summer months of May to October. Winter temperatures are lower and range from 20 degrees C to 35 degrees C.
Currency: $1 ≈ 3.673 United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
 
DEMOGRAPHY
Age Distribution (2012 est.)
0-14 years: 20.6%
15-24 years: 13.8%
25-54 years: 61.5%
55-64 years: 3.1%
65 years and over: 1%
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national.
 
Population Growth: 3.0% (2012 est.)  
Education: 77.9% of the total population age 15 and over can read and write

Visa Requirements:

A visit requires a letter, or telex, of sponsorship to a UAE embassy before a visa can be issued. Bona fide business visitors, Arab and foreign entrepreneurs and experts can now obtain a seven-day transit visa at the airport on entry; this could be revoked.
UK nationals with the right of abode in the UK can stay up to a month without sponsorship due to a visa abolition agreement with the UK.

 Independence Day of the United Arab Emirates, 2 December

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Diplomatic representation of United Arab Emirates in Switzerland

Economy of Tunisia

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Real growth, which averaged almost 5% over the past decade, declined to 4.6% in 2008 and to 3-4% in 2009-10 because of economic contraction and slowing of import demand in Europe - Tunisia's largest export market.

Tunisia faced economic difficulties and a series of external shocks following the January 2011 revolution. Due to a challenging international economic environment, as well as regional and domestic tensions, real GDP contracted by 2 percent in 2011, foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourism declined by more than 30 percent year-on-year, and unemployment rose to record levels.

However, after the sharp economic decline, real GDP growth picked up to about 3 percent in 2012. The deteriorating current account deficit—caused partly by falling demand from Europe—has been financed by sustained donor financing, strengthened FDI and market access, which helped increase reserves (but to a level still below 2010).

Helped by base effects early in the year, tourism and FDI have rebounded (a 34 per cent and 28 per cent y-o-y increase), pushing 2012 overall real GDP growth to 3.6 per cent. The overall unemployment rate improved, narrowing from 18.9 per cent at end-2011 to 16.7 per cent at end-2012, but youth and female unemployment remained high at 33 and 24 per cent, despite new public-sector jobs and the government’s insertion programs for the unemployed.

A fragile banking sector, widespread social and economic disparities, and high youth unemployment are key challenges.

A higher wage bill and rising subsidies, in response to increasing social demands, drove government spending, contributing to a wider fiscal deficit in 2012. Higher food and fuel prices – triggered mostly by increases in international prices – pushed overall inflation above 5 percent and contributed to further increase in the fiscal and current account deficits.

To ease these pressures and to energize the economy, the authorities have designed an economic program, which aims at restoring fiscal space, rebuilding foreign reserves, reducing banking sector vulnerabilities and fostering more inclusive growth.

Essential Information

Area: 164,150 sq km
Population: 10,835,873 (2012 est.)   
Capital: Tunis
Principal Towns: Sfax, Djerba, Sousse, Bizerta, Kairouan.
Languages: Arabic is the official language and French is widely used, particularly in education, commerce and administration. English is also spoken in business circles.
Gross Domestic Product: $44.7 billion (2012 est.)
GDP per capita: $4125.
Climate: Northern and coastal Tunisia has a Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall; this is greatest in the northern mountains. Further south and further inland the climate becomes increasingly dry with extremes of temperatures.
Currency: 1$≈1.6 Tunisian Dinar (TND)
 
DEMOGRAPHY
Age Distribution (2012 est.)
0-14 years: 23%
15-24 years: 16.5%
25-54 years: 44.7%
55-64 years: 8.1%
65 years and over: 7.7%
 
Population Growth: 0.964% (2012 est.)
Education: 74.3% of the total population age 15 and over can read and write

Visa Requirements: No visas are required.

  Independence Day of Tunisia, 20 March

Diplomatic representation of Tunis in Switzerland

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