The combined gross domestic product (GDP) of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stands at $2.8 trillion—equivalent to ranking fifth in the world’s largest economies1. Although the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region are highly uncertain at the time of writing, the pre-COVID-19 expectation was for GDP to grow at a projected average rate of 5.5 percent per annum across the ASEAN region. This is certainly an attractive opportunity for foreign investment. Once we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the key to ensuring the renewed growth trend in ASEAN is energy, both in terms of providing ASEAN members with the power needed to drive their growing economies and in creating opportunities for foreign direct investment.
