Saudi Arabia Increases Efficiency of Legal Environment for Business Sector by Applying Int’l Practices

Photo of the workshop recently held by the Saudi Bar Association and the Riyadh Region Bar Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the workshop recently held by the Saudi Bar Association and the Riyadh Region Bar Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Increases Efficiency of Legal Environment for Business Sector by Applying Int’l Practices

Photo of the workshop recently held by the Saudi Bar Association and the Riyadh Region Bar Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the workshop recently held by the Saudi Bar Association and the Riyadh Region Bar Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is developing a diverse business environment by expanding the application of legal concepts in a way that aligns with the goals of Vision 2030.
The new laws adopted by the Kingdom kept pace with the requirements of global and local investors, by enhancing the speed, efficiency and transparency of the legal and economic system, based on the latest global practices in the business sector.
Exceptional standards
Legal Expert Mohammed Al-Aqeel, managing partner of the Mohamed Al-Aqeel & Partners Law Firm, stressed the importance for experts in the legal and economic fields to observe the rapid evolution taking place in Saudi Arabia to achieve Vision 2030, through exceptional standards and the successful integration of international companies in the local market.
“From this standpoint, it is important to shed light on the legislation that specifically affects the Saudi market and legal practices, which are common legal trends that cannot be neglected today even though their definition was different in the recent past,” he stated.
Global practices
The Saudi expert added that global practices were a common legal language that is founded on legal norms.
The managing partner of Mohammed Al-Aqeel & Partners Law Firm pointed out that the system of the Red Flag & Yellow Flag, is the model that is used in the Saudi market, even among local companies, because it achieves the standard of transparency and disclaimer of responsibility in deals and contracts.
Al-Aqeel was speaking during a lecture held by the Saudi Bar Association and the Riyadh Region Bar Committee entitled, “Due-Learning Examination in Mergers and Acquisitions Contracts,” which presented the concept of this type of application to a number of legal practitioners.
Al-Aqeel touched on the entry of international companies through their brands into the Saudi market, through a commercial franchise agreement for restaurants, or a licensing agreement for global electronic applications for delivery companies, based on the rights to use a registered intellectual property or registered trademark.
“The image has recently been seen changing in the local market with the possibility of using these agreements between Saudi companies to participate in expansion and the acceptance of the idea of joint contribution by multiple parties for one brand,” he said.

 



World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025

World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025
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World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025

World Bank Raises China's GDP Forecast for 2024, 2025

The World Bank raised on Thursday its forecast for China's economic growth in 2024 and 2025, but warned that subdued household and business confidence, along with headwinds in the property sector, would keep weighing it down next year.
The world's second-biggest economy has struggled this year, mainly due to a property crisis and tepid domestic demand. An expected hike in US tariffs on its goods when US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January may also hit growth.
"Addressing challenges in the property sector, strengthening social safety nets, and improving local government finances will be essential to unlocking a sustained recovery," Mara Warwick, the World Bank's country director for China, said.
"It is important to balance short-term support to growth with long-term structural reforms," she added in a statement.
Thanks to the effect of recent policy easing and near-term export strength, the World Bank sees China's gross domestic product growth at 4.9% this year, up from its June forecast of 4.8%.
Beijing set a growth target of "around 5%" this year, a goal it says it is confident of achieving.
Although growth for 2025 is also expected to fall to 4.5%, that is still higher than the World Bank's earlier forecast of 4.1%.
Slower household income growth and the negative wealth effect from lower home prices are expected to weigh on consumption into 2025, the Bank added.
To revive growth, Chinese authorities have agreed to issue a record 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) in special treasury bonds next year, Reuters reported this week.
The figures will not be officially unveiled until the annual meeting of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, in March 2025, and could still change before then.
While the housing regulator will continue efforts to stem further declines in China's real estate market next year, the World Bank said a turnaround in the sector was not anticipated until late 2025.
China's middle class has expanded significantly since the 2010s, encompassing 32% of the population in 2021, but World Bank estimates suggest about 55% remain "economically insecure", underscoring the need to generate opportunities.