Tunisia
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Tunisia advances 101bn dinar development plan alongside strong tourism recovery
- Economic Planning: Tunisia’s parliament has adopted a 101.8 billion dinar 2026–2030 Development Plan targeting an average annual growth rate of 4.2%. The roadmap encompasses over 21,000 national projects and relies on the state for 61% of total funding. Achieving these targets will require sweeping reforms to the domestic business climate, primarily streamlining land access and administrative procedures to attract essential private sector and foreign capital.
- Tourism Recovery: International arrivals surpassed 5.8 million visitors in the first seven months of 2026, consolidating a robust recovery for the vital hospitality sector. The influx provides a critical source of foreign currency to the national treasury while sustaining supply chains across transport, food services, and retail. The government aims to maintain this trajectory by diversifying source markets and promoting historical and cultural sites alongside traditional coastal resorts.
- Foreign Investment: The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency reported 1.93 billion dinars, or approximately $630 million, in international capital attracted during the first half of 2026. This inflow marks a pivotal indicator of international confidence as the state works to overcome structural economic constraints and a heavy sovereign debt burden.
- Energy and Climate Resilience: Prolonged summer heatwaves exceeding 50 degrees Celsius have placed unprecedented strain on Tunisia’s national electricity grid and water pumping stations, resulting in severe supply interruptions. The compounding resource stress underscores the urgency of modernising utility infrastructure and accelerating the deployment of 2.3 gigawatts in newly approved wind and solar projects to stabilise baseline generation.
- Q2 GDP Performance: National economic growth slowed to 2.3% year-on-year during the second quarter of 2026, according to the National Institute of Statistics. Solid output in agriculture and services kept overall expansion positive, counterbalancing persistent contractions in the mining and hydrocarbon sectors that continue to drag on aggregate industrial performance.