With both economic diversification plans under way across the region, GCC states are seeking to bolster trade relations with countries across the world and draw in foreign investment. Regional governments have found a willing partner in China, which is seeking to expand its trade and investment presence on the Eurasian continent, as...
To support the government in achieving the objectives laid out in Vision 2030, the Council of Economic Affairs and Development (CEAD) has formulated 12 Vision Realisation Programmes (VRPs). One of the most important of them, the Quality of Life Programme 2020, was launched in May 2018, giving Saudis an overview of the scale of social and...
A welcome improvement was seen in the Kingdom’s economic fortune in 2018, with GDP growth of 1.2% in the first quarter marking the first expansion of the national economy after five consecutive quarters of contraction. Overall, the economy grew by 2.2% for the year, compared to a contraction of 0.7% in 2017. Firming oil prices have enabled the...
While firming oil prices have allowed Saudi Arabia to boost state spending, energise the economy and narrow the fiscal deficit in 2018, the Kingdom’s longterm strategy is built on driving growth through private sector activity rather than the public purse. Attracting sufficient levels of investment to bring about this change in economic model...
Saudi Arabia’s budget for 2019 set a record-high expenditure level of SR1.11trn ($295.9bn), a rise of SR76bn ($20.3bn) over the previous year. The expansionary stance means the government is able to boost its current spending, which rose by 4% to SR860bn ($229.3bn), and thereby maintain its commitment to education, health care and social...
As the world’s nations and businesses become increasingly interconnected, so too does the flow of global migration. According to the OECD’s “International Migration Outlook 2018”, in 2017 some 258m people resided in a country other than the one they were born in and more than 5m foreign-born persons settled in OECD countries. The flow of...
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