Data from the investment promotion authority showed that foreign direct investment stood at 1.12 billion dinars ($690 million) in the six months to end-June, which is 45 percent above the same period in 2011 and three percent above its level in the first half of 2010.

The country of 10 million is however struggling to fully recover from the effects of the crisis that followed the revolt with high youth unemployment rates.

Foreign investment in the first half of this year saw the creation of 71 new firms and the creation of 6,700 new jobs, the agency said. Investors' interest focused on energy and manufacturing, which took 640 million and 233 million dinars respectively.