Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy, is progressing towards diversification under Vision 2030. The digital economy is a standout performer, contributing 14% of GDP, while government-led giga-projects open long-term opportunities across various sectors. Despite a dip in oil activities that reduced the current account surplus to 3.2% in 2023, tourism income surged by 38%, boosting the servi
Saudi Arabia is undergoing a period of sweeping social transformation and economic diversification underpinned by Vision 2030. This is creating a fertile environment for private businesses to expand into emerging market segments to meet rapidly rising demand from the Kingdom’s relatively young and aspirational consumer class, particularly in areas such as entertainment, hospitality, sport…
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a period of sustained economic growth, outperforming other G20 nations in 2022. This expansion is attributed to higher global energy prices, resulting in a fiscal surplus and supporting diversification efforts and the non-oil sector.
With increasing oil and gas prices and an expanding non-oil sector, Saudi Arabia has been logging record trade surpluses in recent years, while securing government revenue for future investment. The Kingdom is expected to be among the fastest-growing economies in the G20 in 2022 – and was on track to fulfil that forecast by the middle of the year. Indeed, in the first three months of 2022 G
Restrictions on movement and trade as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have led to a significant shift in consumer behaviour in Saudi Arabia, with locals increasingly turning to digital channels. Worldwide, cases of Covid-19 have risen to 859,000 and 42,000 deaths have been attributedto the virus as of the morning of April 1. However, Saudi Arabia has seen relativelyfew infections,…
Since its establishment in September 1932, the Kingdom has poured its considerable financial resources into a series of large-scale economic development, diversification and modernisation initiatives. Saudi Arabia has attracted international attention for the momentum of its socio-economic transformation, taking place under the auspices of the Vision 2030 development blueprint. Firming oil prices
Changing labour market trends, in part a result of efforts to boost the number of domestic citizens in the workforce, are shifting Saudi Arabia’s economy and the retail sector in particular. More than 264,000 expatriates left the Saudi labour market in the third quarter of last year, according to data released by the General Organisation for Social Insurance on March 3, taking the total number…
Key initiatives include a privatisation programme which would see the divestment of a number of state-owned giants, such as the partial listing of Aramco, the creation of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund and the increased participation of women in the job market. The Kingdom has played a key role too on the international stage in 2017, becoming the first country to host President Trump,
With high levels of consumer spending in 2015 and early 2016 despite recent macroeconomic pressures, Saudi Arabia’s retail sector is widely acknowledged to be a bright spot in an otherwise challenging current economic landscape. Over the past decade the industry has posted growth of 12% on an annual basis on the back of steadily rising purchasing power among Saudi households and, concurrently, rapid…
