Saudi Arabia

The real estate sector is set for a boost after new legislation allowing banks to offer mortgage products to home buyers was given final approval, a move that should encourage many young Saudis to shift from renting to ownership. It may take time, however, for both banks and customers to acclimatise themselves to the conditions of the Kingdom’s new property market.

With strong consumer confidence and a sound economic outlook for the immediate future, Saudi Arabia’s retail sector appears set for a good year of trading. Concerns over rising inflation, particularly with Ramadan underway, however, mean that consumers may begin eyeing price tags more carefully.

The information and communications technology (ICT) sector has benefitted from rising smartphone sales and expanding broadband reach, but further growth is contingent on infrastructure, particularly the expansion of the nation’s broadband capability and its integration with international networks.

Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to take its industrialisation process to the next level, moving from the processing of feedstocks – particularly hydrocarbons – towards utilising the resulting petrochemical materials for the manufacture of finished products. Rising demand on both the national power grid and on raw materials, however, could have an impact on the rate at which new developments are realised.

The Kingdom is launching a massive health care sector spending programme, a priority in a country where population growth, increasing numbers of religious tourists and a rise in lifestyle-associated illnesses are putting pressure on existing medical infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia’s economy, already robust after posting growth of 6.8% last year, seems set for a period of sustained expansion, with state-backed investments and higher-than-projected hydrocarbons earnings contributing to the Kingdom’s strong performance.