Since Saudi Arabia began reducing its domestic wheat production in 2008, the issue of food security has been high on the agenda for GCC governments. The Kingdom, which was once self-sufficient in the grain and even exported to the wider region, recognised a fact that is true across the whole of the Arabian Peninsula: it is running out of water...
Public sector salary cuts and subsidy reductions will play an important part in Saudi Arabia’s effort to close its fiscal gap. However, much attention is also being paid to the other side of the ledger, where a series of tax proposals offer a route to new revenue streams for the government. Historically, taxation has only played a small role...
One of the most important issues currently facing the Middle East is the changing composition of its demographic structure. A massive cohort of young people – known as a youth bulge – is challenging policy makers, and affecting security, education, the labour market and welfare programmes, among other areas. Given the relative stability and...
A combination of factors has led to a rise in bond issuance from GCC member states in the first half of 2016. Over the period, bonds and sukuk (Islamic bonds) issued in the GCC hit $39bn, accounting for 15% of the region’s total outstanding bonds ($263bn) as of June 2016, and nearly equalling the value of issues in the whole of...
Saudi Arabia is a socially conservative country and interaction between unrelated men and women is prohibited. Businessmen should wait for a woman to offer her hand to shake in a meeting. In all other situations, keep a respectful distance. Handshakes between men are common. Saudis pride themselves on their hospitality and it is impolite to...
Most expatriate residents of Saudi Arabia will find themselves living in one of the country’s three main cities: Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Those living in Riyadh and Jeddah work in a wide variety of sectors, whereas most expats in Dammam – part of a tri-city area that includes Dhahran and Al Khobar – work in the hydrocarbons industry, often...
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