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Saudi Arabia Launches Development Initiative in Africa Worth over $1 Billion

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Development Initiative in Africa Worth over $1 Billion

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, deputizing for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, inaugurated the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh on Friday.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and African countries are keen to enhance cooperation in a way that contributes to establishing security and peace in the region and the whole world,” said Crown Prince Mohammed in opening the summit.

“We condemn the military aggression witnessed in Gaza Strip, the targeting of civilians, and the continued violation of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupying authority. We stress the need to stop this war and forced displacement, as well as to create conditions for the return of stability and for achieving peace,” he urged.

“The Kingdom and African countries support all efforts aimed at achieving security and stability. In this regard, we welcome the resumption of the Jeddah talks, with representatives of the two sides of the crisis in Sudan, and hope that the language of dialogue will be the basis for preserving the unity of Sudan, and the security of its people and assets,” he added.

“Saudi Arabia has provided more than $45 billion to support development and humanitarian projects in 54 African countries. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) aid has reached more than $450 million in 46 African countries. We are determined to develop cooperation and partnership with African countries and expand areas of trade and integration,” he stressed.

“In this regard, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Development Initiative in Africa by inaugurating development projects and programs worth over $1 billion in countries of the continent over a period of ten years. We also look forward to making new Saudi investments, worth more than $25 billion, in various sectors, financing $10 billion in exports and providing $5 billion in additional development financing to Africa until 2030,” revealed the Crown Prince.

Moreover, he said the Kingdom will increase the number of embassies in Africa to more than 40.

In recognition of Africa's role, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was among the first nations to publicly endorse the African Union's bid for permanent membership in the Group of Twenty (G20), he remarked.

“The Kingdom is keen to support innovative solutions to address African debt, as it sought during its presidency of the G20 in 2020 to launch initiatives to suspend debt service payments during the pandemic for low-income countries, and the Common Framework for Debt Treatments initiative in many African,” he continued.

“Saudi Arabia supports sustainable development and recognizes every country's right to utilize their resources and capacities. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the security and durability of energy supplies, benefiting from all energy sources, developing clean fuel solutions, and providing food to over 750 million Africans,” he added.

“We aim to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, to present an unprecedented version in the history of this exhibition that may contribute to projecting a better future for humanity. We look forward to your participation in highlighting the important role of Africa, its human and natural resources, growth opportunities, and future potential,” he stated.

The official Saudi delegation at the event included Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, and Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet and National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban.

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Business

Morocco Targets $10 Billion AI Contribution to GDP by 2030

People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)
People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)
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Morocco Targets $10 Billion AI Contribution to GDP by 2030

People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)
People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)

Morocco is targeting a 100 billion dirhams ($10 billion) boost to its gross domestic product from artificial intelligence by 2030, the minister in charge of digital transition said on Monday, as the country steps up its investment in training programs, sovereign data centers and cloud services.

Morocco, whose current GDP comes to around $170 billion, plans to invest in artificial intelligence centers linked ‌to universities and ‌the private sector, and ‌to ⁠integrate AI solutions ‌into public administration and industry, Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni told a conference in Rabat.

The GDP boost would largely come from expanding domestic data-processing capacity through sovereign data centers, scaling up cloud and fiber-optic infrastructure, and building an AI-skilled workforce ⁠to support the deployment of AI solutions across industry ‌and government, she said.

Under the ‍plan, Morocco expects ‍to create 50,000 AI-related jobs and train ‍200,000 graduates in AI skills by 2030.

As part of that effort, Seghrouchni on Monday signed a partnership agreement with France's Mistral AI to support the development of generative AI tools in Morocco.

"We want to turn Morocco into ⁠a future excellence hub in AI and data science," Seghrouchni said.

The government is also preparing legislation governing artificial intelligence, according to the minister.

Morocco has earmarked 11 billion dirhams ($1.2 billion) for its digital transformation strategy for 2024–2026, covering AI initiatives and the expansion of fiber-optic infrastructure. It is separately planning a 500-megawatt, renewable energy-powered data center in the southern city of Dakhla ‌to boost the security and sovereignty of national data storage.

Business

Saudi Arabia Consolidates Its Position Among the World’s Top 20 Economies in 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 
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Saudi Arabia Consolidates Its Position Among the World’s Top 20 Economies in 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 

As the global financial landscape is reshaped by accelerating geopolitical shifts, economic data show that Saudi Arabia has firmly consolidated its place among the world’s 20 largest economies in 2026.

This standing reflects the success of Vision 2030 in diversifying income sources and expanding gross domestic product. The Kingdom ranks 19th globally, outperforming several long-established economies, with GDP projected at $1.316 trillion.

According to data based on International Monetary Fund reports released in October 2025, the global economy is expected to reach $123.6 trillion in 2026. Economic power remains highly concentrated, with the world’s five largest economies accounting for more than 55 percent of total global output:

United States: Continues to lead with GDP of $31.8 trillion, supported by a resilient labor market and sustained consumer spending, with real growth projected at 2.1 percent.

China: Ranks second with an estimated GDP of $20.7 trillion, despite demographic challenges and its transition toward advanced manufacturing.

Germany: Retains Europe’s top position in third place with GDP of $5.3 trillion, despite pressure from high energy costs.

India: The “rising star,” securing fourth place globally with GDP of $4.5 trillion and posting the fastest growth among major economies at 6.2 percent.

Japan: Slips to fifth place with GDP of $4.4 trillion, facing demographic headwinds despite strengths in robotics and automotive industries.

Linked to recent IMF assessments, Saudi Arabia stands out as a key pillar in what experts describe as a new “economic geography.” While many emerging markets have struggled with interest-rate volatility and inflation distortions in advanced economies - particularly the United States - the Kingdom has demonstrated a strong ability to absorb external shocks.

The IMF views Saudi Arabia’s large-scale investments in high-potential sectors not merely as a driver of domestic growth, but as part of a broader global shift in capital flows toward destinations offering stability and long-term attractiveness.

The data also underscore the strong performance of other economies on the list. Brazil ranks 11th with GDP exceeding $2.2 trillion, while Türkiye and Indonesia continue to compete closely in 16th and 17th place, respectively.

 

 

Business

Saudi Industrial Production Index Records Highest Growth Since Early 2023

A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)
A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)
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Saudi Industrial Production Index Records Highest Growth Since Early 2023

A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)
A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)

Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index posted a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent in November 2025, compared with the same month a year earlier, marking its highest growth rate since the beginning of 2023, according to preliminary data. On a monthly basis, however, the index declined by 0.7 percent.

Data released by the General Authority for Statistics on Sunday showed that the index for oil-related activities rose by 12.9 percent year on year in November, while the index for non-oil activities increased by 4.4 percent compared with the same month of the previous year.

Month on month, the index for oil activities recorded a rise of 0.5 percent, while the non-oil activities index fell by 3.4 percent compared with October 2025.

In November, the sub-index for mining and quarrying activities climbed 12.6 percent year on year, driven by higher oil production during the month. Saudi oil output rose to 10.1 million barrels per day, compared with 8.9 million barrels per day in November last year.

On a monthly basis, the mining and quarrying sub-index also increased by 0.5 percent.

The manufacturing sub-index recorded an annual rise of 8.1 percent, supported by a 14.5 percent increase in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, as well as a 10.9 percent rise in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.

In monthly terms, preliminary results showed the manufacturing sub-index edged up by 0.3 percent, buoyed by a 0.3 percent increase in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products and a 1.0 percent rise in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.

As for other activities, the sub-index for electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply fell by 4.3 percent year on year. In contrast, the sub-index for water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities rose by 10.2 percent compared with November last year.

Compared with October 2025, the electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply sub-index dropped sharply by 28.6 percent, while the water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities sub-index declined by 3.1 percent.