Author Archive

UAE’s Role in Gold Smuggling from Africa Could Jeopardize Its Investment Ambitions on the Continent

Via African Critical Minerals, a report on the impact that the UAE’s Role in gold smuggling from Africa could have upon its investment ambitions on the continent: A report by Swissaid, released on Thursday, reveals the alarming extent of gold smuggling out of Africa. Between 321 and 474 metric tons of gold are produced annually […]

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Vietnam’s Great Untapped Rare Earth Bounty

Via Asia Times, an article on US efforts to help develop Vietnam’s rich rare earth reserves to decouple from China but that’s not likely to happen anytime soon: Vietnam is home to the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earths, according to the US Geological Survey. Yet while the US and its allies seek a supply […]

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UAE: Dubai Ports World Makes a Play for Africa

Courtesy of The Africa Report, a report on how DP World, the Dubai-based logistics giant, is both a thriving business and a geopolitical soft power tool: From humble beginnings a half-century ago as the local operator of the two-crane operation at Port Rashid, Dubai Ports World has matured into a global logistics powerhouse. It’s also […]

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The Great CPEC Mirage

Via Dawn, commentary on CPEC: IF you think China is gearing up for another round of massive business investments in Pakistan then I have a power plant to sell you. No such thing is about to happen and all the noise around a revival of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is either wishful thinking (at best) or […]

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Saudi Arabia Eyes a Future Beyond Oil

Courtesy of the New York Times, a report on Saudi Arabia’s efforts to juggle its still-vital petroleum industry with alternative energy sources like wind and solar as it faces pressure to lower carbon emissions: At a two-hour drive from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, rows of solar panels extend to the horizon like waves on an […]

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African Countries Turn To India For Agricultural Investment

Via The Hindu BusinessLine, an article on Kenya and Uganda’s decision to offer land on lease to Indian businesses to pursue opportunities in rice, wheat, millets, floriculture, livestock: With many African countries, such as Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, and Cote d’lvoire, actively looking beyond China for attracting foreign investments in agriculture — crucial for food security and […]

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ABOUT
WILDCATS AND BLACK SHEEP
Wildcats & Black Sheep is a personal interest blog dedicated to the identification and evaluation of maverick investment opportunities arising in frontier - and, what some may consider to be, “rogue” or “black sheep” - markets around the world.

Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.