RABAT, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Morocco was ranked the third best destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the African continent for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, behind South Africa and Egypt, according to a recent report by FDI Intelligence.

    The study considered numerous criteria for making such a rank, including infrastructures, local strategies for encouraging FDI, the economic potential, human resources, living standards and market openness.

    The report, titled "African Countries of the Future 2009-2010", was developed by a panel of independent experts, ranking 59 African countries according to the results from the above criteria.

    The FDI Intelligence is a specialist division from the Financial Times Ltd that provides products, services and business tools that allow companies and economic development organizations to make informed decisions regarding foreign direct investment.