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Recent years have seen a profound restructuring of the Saudi health care sector, with major reform plans being rolled out that foresee not only future expansion, but a much more significant role for the private sector. These moves are being made are in response to a number of basic challenges, brought about by both economic and demographic developments. According to Tawfiq Al Rabiah, the minister of health, these developments mean that some SR250bn ($66.7bn) of investment in the sector will be required up to 2030. This considerable sum will be injected into a system undergoing far-reaching structural change, with increased emphasis on quality of service and the pursuit of alternative funding models to the current public purse. A major initiative to localise both staffing and materials is also under way, and is likely to see increasing investment in training and recruitment of Saudis, and support to domestic pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supply manufacturers. This chapter contains an interview with Dr Haitham Alfalah, CEO, King Saud Medical City.

Given pride of place in both the Kingdom’s long-term development plans and in its annual budget, education in Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a major expansion – both in terms of quantity and quality. A range of new projects were launched over 2017 and will continue into 2018, from university construction to curriculum development. Indeed, the centrality of education and training to the country’s ability to achieve other developmental objectives is now widely recognised by planners, policymakers and investors alike, with important consequences for the sector as a whole. This chapter contains an interview with Ahmed Aleissa, Minister of Education.

After a period of stabilisation in which the government implemented a number of reforms, the real estate and construction sectors are preparing for the introduction of a range of projects under the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. Lower oil prices and the resulting fiscal consolidation of the state cooled demand in 2016 and early 2017; however, public and private investment is set to pick up again and the implementation of the NTP and Vision 2030 will have a huge impact on the construction industry if its planned mega-projects are rolled out according to schedule. Increased demand should stem from a growing range of segments, including affordable housing, transport, tourism and commercial space for international tech developers. This chapter contains interviews with Majed Al Hogail, Minister of Housing; and Khalid S Aljasser, CEO, Arabian Centres.

In a push to diversify its economy, Saudi Arabia is determined to increase the role of the private sector in the development of its transport infrastructure, as well as in the operation of seaports, airports and related supply chains. Public-private partnerships are being pursued to fund several key schemes, while a number of the country’s publicly operated facilities, such as airports, are being readied for full privatisation. However, there are a series of challenges ahead in the Kingdom’s pursuit to meet its Saudi Vision 2030 objective of leveraging its location at the crossroads of three continents. Faced with a decline in the country’s ranking among global indices of competitiveness and logistics since 2016, when the national development plan was unveiled, the budget for 2018 – introduced in December 2017 – includes an 86% increase in planned government expenditure on infrastructure and transportation, from SR29bn ($7.7bn) to SR54bn ($14.4bn). This chapter contains an interview with Nabeel Al Amudi, Minister of Transport; Rumaih Al Rumaih, President, Public Transport Authority; and Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser, Director-General, Saudi Arabian Airlines.

With more than SR3.3bn ($879.8m) in spending earmarked for culture and media by 2020, Saudi Arabia’s government is hoping to attract significant private sector investment in the development of its creative and entertainment industries. To this end, state agencies are working hard to encourage international investment, talent and media sector expertise in the Kingdom, and they aim to help develop local entertainment businesses and expand their influence across borders. This chapter contains an interview with Ghassan Al Shibl, Board Member and Managing Director, Saudi Research and Marketing Group.

Accounting for 6% of GDP and 10% of non-oil GDP in 2016, according to the Communications and Information Technology Commission, Saudi Arabia’s ICT sector plays an important part in the Kingdom’s economy. Spending in the sector exceeded SR130bn ($34.7bn) in 2016, and in 2017 it was expected to reach SR138bn ($36.8bn) despite economic headwinds. The government’s recently finalised economic strategy places ICT at the centre of the nation’s development, and telecoms players, hardware and software providers, and service operators all stand to benefit from the array of state-directed initiatives it has set in motion. Regulatory changes however have added pressure to ICT companies’ bottom lines over the past year, and the industry is responding by reining in expenditure and shifting the strategic focus to new products and services. This chapter contains interviews with Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communication & Information Technology; Prince Naif bin Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer, Chairman, Zain Saudi Arabia; and Essam Alshiha, CEO, Saudi Business Machines.