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  • Fast Facts Brunei Darussalam

    At Ogilvy Noor we know that you are busy growing your business and your brand. That’s why we are putting together this series of  ‘Fast Facts’ to bring you key information in quick bite size chunks about topics of interest if you are building relationships with Muslim consumers.

    This month we are looking at Brunei.

    Official Title: Negara Brunei Darussalam (The Country of Brunei, Abode of Peace)

    Population: A tiny 401,000 which means a density of just 68 people per km2

    Economy: Total GDP of around US$6.5 billion and a per capita GDP of around US$18.3 thousand (2002). Oil and gas reserves mean high living standards, high literacy, long life expectancy and low unemployment; also no personal income tax, government-provided medical services and subsidized rice and housing.  There is a move to diversify, with tourism, foreign investment, education and developing human resources on the agenda. Brunei markets itself as a financial centre and as a destination for upmarket and eco-tourism. Brunei is highly dependent on imports.

    Religion: The official religion is Islam. with two thirds of the population being Muslim. Buddhism, Christianity and Freethinkers are also present.

    Geography: Located in South East Asia. It makes up just 1% of the land area of the island of Borneo, the remainder of which are part of Indonesia. It covers just 5,675 sq. km with a coastline of about 161 km along the South China Sea. The capital city is Bandar Seri Begawan

    Government: Brunei is an independent sovereign constitutional Sultanate. The current Sultan is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and has been in his position for 44 years. He is advised by an appointed Council of Cabinet Ministers, Religious Council, Privy Council, a Council of Succession and a Legislative Council.

    You might not know: Brunei has a national philosophy which stresses “the importance of Islam in daily life and governance, and respect for the monarchy as represented by His Majesty The Sultan. It is a philosophy of tolerance, which allows other cultures to follow individual traditions and to practice other religions.” Brunei was the only Malay state in 1963 to choose to remain a British dependency rather than join the Malaysian Federation.

     

     

  • admin

    Thanks for flagging this up – makes a great addition to “you might not know…”

  • Allen Lai

    Thank you for highlighting Brunei Darussalam. One interesting aspect in relation to branding and marketing is that Brunei has developed its own brand of consumer goods called ‘Brunei Halal’ seeking to reach the global Muslim Market.

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