Conditions for entrepreneurship are improving faster in the Middle East and Africa than in any other part of the world, according to a report.

Conditions for entrepreneurship are improving faster in the Middle East and Africa than in any other part of the world, according to a report.

On a scale of 0 to 100, the region scored 89 compared to a global average of 74, claims the report from Barclays Wealth and the Economist Intelligence Unit, which based its results on a survey of 960 entrepreneurs.  

The Asia-Pacific was the second fastest-improving region with a score of 77, followed by North America with 71 and Europe with 66.

The survey identifies international expansion prospects and the scope for developing original ideas as the two most improved areas in the Middle East and Africa, with 69 and 62 per cent of respondents respectively citing these factors.

In Europe, the cost of doing business (41 per cent) and the regulatory environment (37 per cent) were the factors respondents say have worsened the most.