In an economy dominated by hydrocarbons, there is no doubt that the big business in Saudi Arabia is oil, but the Kingdom is also home to 1.8m small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Articles & Analysis | Starting small: Given the large number of local SMEs, opening up financing and opportunities is key from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014.
Articles & Analysis | All aboard: Rail links will help connect the peninsula economically and socially from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014.
With just four years to go until the target date for the opening of a rail network carrying passengers and freight around the six countries of the GCC, its member states are looking forward to the economic and strategic benefits that this new connectivity will bring, but they also face some more immediate practical challenges in the short term...
Articles & Analysis | A full plate: The need to feed a growing population is creating demand for innovative and sustainable technologies from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014.
While its hydrocarbons resources provide Saudi Arabia and its citizens with prosperity and the prospect of continued economic growth, its climate and hydrology mean the Kingdom cannot hope to sustain its growing population with food grown within its borders. Attempts to do so have to be offset against considerable environmental risks....
Interviews & Viewpoints | Adel Fakeih, Minister of Labour: Interview from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014.
To what extent can the Saudiisation programme ensure that nationals are employed in a productive manner rather than being hired to fulfil a quota?
Articles & Analysis | Complementary investments: Defence offset programmes bolster the economy and boost employment and training prospects from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014.
Saudi Arabia was declared the world’s fourth-largest defence spender after the US, China and Russia in the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) 2014 “Military Balance” report. It estimated the Kingdom’s defence budget for 2013 was $59.6bn, putting it ahead of the UK, France, Japan and Germany. According to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the 2013 budget for...
Articles & Analysis | Bright ideas: New programmes seek to facilitate and utilise the potential of young Saudi nationals from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014.
Central to the Kingdom’s goals to diversify its economy and to transition from an investment-driven model to an innovation-driven approach to business by 2020 are its plans for its growing population of young people. The government envisages highly educated young Saudis pursuing private sector careers in Jeddah, Riyadh or one of the four...