Saudi Arabia’s Transformation Plans Achieve Record Results at Accelerated Pace

The Saudi Center for Economic Business provides facilitated services to the business sector in the country (SPA)
The Saudi Center for Economic Business provides facilitated services to the business sector in the country (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Transformation Plans Achieve Record Results at Accelerated Pace

The Saudi Center for Economic Business provides facilitated services to the business sector in the country (SPA)
The Saudi Center for Economic Business provides facilitated services to the business sector in the country (SPA)

A system that operates under the National Transformation Program, one of the pillars of Saudi Vision 2030, has achieved record results at a fast pace during 2023.
The program seeks to accelerate digital transformation in the Kingdom and focuses on a wide range of priorities, including, empowering the private sector, achieving government excellence, and developing economic partnerships.
A recent report issued by the program, a copy of which was reviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat, showed the extensive progress of the national transformation system over the past year, with services becoming easier and more comprehensive thanks to the many initiatives implemented by the various ministries and concerned bodies.
According to the report, the Ministry of Economy and Planning launched the “Saudi Census,” the most accurate and most comprehensive in the history of the Kingdom, in addition to the Saudi Data Platform, which includes major economic and social indicators.
The report said that the Ministry of Investment was able to issue more than 180 licenses for regional headquarters for international companies, and develop 1,200 investment opportunities on the “Invest in Saudi Arabia” platform, in addition to holding more than 31 global forums.
Moreover, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched a number of initiatives and programs over the past year, including 25 stations to monitor noise pollution, 100 stations to monitor light pollution, the Climate Change Center, and the Regional Center for Warning of Dust and Sand Storms, in addition to other platforms.
For its part, the Ministry of Commerce launched a number of programs, including, the Business Growth Acceleration Program, as well as the Stanford for Entrepreneurs and Leaders program, and the “Slingshot” program.
Last year, the Ministry of Justice unveiled many services that contribute to accelerating the implementation of real estate operations, in addition to the updated version of the Najiz platform, which seeks to improve the quality of services provided and raise the satisfaction rate of beneficiaries.
As for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, it has witnessed tangible developments, including the launch of the open data platform, the new version of the Tawakkalna application, the national data government platform, and the national data index “Nadha”, in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).
The Ministry of Communications established eight innovation laboratories at the Center for Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE), to empower entrepreneurs and owners of emerging digital projects and to grow digital businesses, as well as the “Tuwaiq” program, which offers a range of training courses in programming, design and modern technologies.
Since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the major positive transformations witnessed in the country’s cities and regions have contributed to shaping a new, higher quality of life and providing better livelihoods.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.