Saudi Arabia has long been a major investor in its military, with defence outlays representing a significant portion of the national budget. Despite the drop in oil prices since mid-2014, which in the short term is having a noticeable impact on the government’s military spending, defence spending is likely to continue to grow, with multi-...
Historically, oil has generated the majority of Saudi Arabia’s revenues and around 50% of its GDP. However, in recent years an emphasis has been placed on growing the Kingdom’s non-oil private sector by bringing in manufacturing and other industries to diversify the economy. The National Transformation Programme (NTP) has replaced the Kingdom’...
With Saudi Arabia’s population now above 30m, and an increasing number of high-end private and public hospitals in the Kingdom, there are strong opportunities in the field of pharmaceuticals, not only for companies looking to import drugs but also for the local production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, an area the government is eager...
Steps taken by national oil giant Saudi Aramco to consolidate some of its downstream assets, most notably in the US market, appear to be laying the groundwork for an initial public offering (IPO) and a move towards becoming a global refining leader. In mid-March 2016 Royal Dutch Shell’s US affiliate and Saudi Aramco’s downstream subsidiary...
There is a growing awareness in Saudi Arabia that cybersecurity is a major global priority, and that the Kingdom needs to be adequately prepared to deal with advanced cyberattacks. In August 2015 Saudi government websites, including state education, health, sports and municipal sites, were targeted and breached over the course of two hours....
Saudi Arabia was the eighth-largest producer of cement in the world in 2014; however, the slowdown of the economy and the energy price hikes of December 2015 have impacted the sector. While major government-led infrastructure projects are still going ahead – though some are delayed and others may be downsized or cancelled at a later date – the...
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