TAG: Saudi Arabia
The global oil industry had yet to recover from the price crash of 2014-15 by the time the pandemic hit in early 2020, which meant that upstream operators and service providers were already grappling with cost-related challenges and falling profit margins.
Oliver Cornock, Oxford Business Group's Editor-in-Chief, recently spoke with John Brash, founder and CEO of Brash Brands, who shared his views on the current economic trends in GCC countries – with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia – that include ambitious innovation and diversification plans; investments in talent and education; support for SMEs and start-ups after the crisis, as well as progress in agricultural sustainability.
With a population larger than the other five GCC countries combined, Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 50% of the region’s food imports prior to the pandemic, and 80% of food consumed in the Kingdom came from abroad.