Saudi Arabia

Cloud computing could be one of the keys that will help create a smarter and more efficient Saudi Arabia. However, the authorities recognise that any plans for cloud technology need to be balanced with national security concerns. When the Ministry of Interior chaired a meeting to discuss the implications of the cloud in November 2014, it...

Saudi Arabia has a strong base of domestic consumers, strengthened by a growing population of young people and rising disposable incomes. With the sector remaining undersupplied, the opportunities for growth are substantial. While retail sectors in other GCC countries witnessed strong investment and expansion over the last decade, Saudi Arabia...

With two new players entering the market, a major mobile operator dealing with fallout from systematically overstating revenues while understating costs, and the third mobile licence operator continuing to operate at a loss since its launch seven years ago, the Saudi telecoms sector is experiencing interesting times.

While Saudi Arabia may traditionally have seen the oil fields in its Eastern Province as the source of its wealth, the gold, phosphates and bauxite found in its western and northern regions promise to provide a third pillar of the economy by complementing oil and petrochemicals. Billions of dollars will be ploughed into mining, infrastructure...

Falling demand and rising competition for feedstock, alongside a national push to bring the price of raw materials closer to market rates, are combining to put pressure on Saudi Arabia’s petrochemicals industry.

The Kingdom leads the world in the production and consumption of desalinated water, and with an estimated SR91bn ($24.3bn) of expansion plans in the pipeline until 2020, as well as privatisation in the offing, the sector offers opportunities for a range of investors.