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Saudization in Operation and Maintenance Sector Reaches 34%

The Technical, Operational, and Maintenance Agency, headed by the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, tests the reliability of the electrical supply to the Grand Mosque. (SPA)
The Technical, Operational, and Maintenance Agency, headed by the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, tests the reliability of the electrical supply to the Grand Mosque. (SPA)
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Saudization in Operation and Maintenance Sector Reaches 34%

The Technical, Operational, and Maintenance Agency, headed by the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, tests the reliability of the electrical supply to the Grand Mosque. (SPA)
The Technical, Operational, and Maintenance Agency, headed by the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, tests the reliability of the electrical supply to the Grand Mosque. (SPA)

Saudi nationals’ participation in the workforce continues to increase, with Saudization in the operation and maintenance sector reaching 34 percent.

Since its inception from 2019 to 2023, the Labor Localization and Maintenance Contracts service initiative has resulted in the employment of over 160,000 Saudi natives in the sector.

In a recent report, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources highlighted the operation and maintenance sector as a pivotal and promising domain within the Kingdom, offering diverse employment opportunities.

The initiative aims to create enticing job prospects for national talent across administrative, engineering, supervisory, technical, and craft professions.

It further seeks to implement various support and qualification programs and incentives to enhance the work environment.

The overarching goal is to attract skilled individuals to the sector, fuel its growth, amplify its role in economic development, and align with the objectives outlined in Saudi Vision 2030.

An integral part of the initiative is an effort to elevate Saudization levels, foster job creation, and nurture the potential of Saudi nationals through specialized development and qualification programs.

Simultaneously, the initiative aims to retain existing employees in the sector, providing upskilling opportunities and bolstering efficiency in the operation and maintenance domain.

The localization guide for operation and maintenance contracts has been applied to contracts across government bodies.

Key elements of this guide include job levels and categories, target Saudization percentages, minimum salary benchmarks for each job level, provisions for training and development, job security through employee transfers to subsequent contracts, performance monitoring, penalties for non-compliance, and measures to enhance overall efficiency in the operation and maintenance sector.

Six governmental entities are actively involved in implementing this initiative: the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Expenditure & Projects Efficiency Authority, the Human Resources Development Fund, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, and the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority.

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Business

IMF Chief Urges US and Wealthy Nations to Rein in Debt to Ease Global Economic Pressure

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 October 2026. (EPA)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 October 2026. (EPA)
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IMF Chief Urges US and Wealthy Nations to Rein in Debt to Ease Global Economic Pressure

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 October 2026. (EPA)
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 October 2026. (EPA)

The US and other wealthy nations need to urgently tackle mounting global debt levels that are weighing most heavily on low-income countries and straining the global financial system, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other US leaders recognize that the federal deficit and national debt are too high. But economic growth alone would not be enough to address the country’s more than $40 trillion in national debt, she said.

Meanwhile, rising bond yields, reflecting higher premiums demanded by investors for taking on greater risk, have been disrupting financial markets.

“We believe that growth, of course, helps, but it cannot deliver fast enough the necessary adjustments,” Georgieva said at the autumn meeting of the IMF and World Bank in Bangkok.

“There is no magic,” she said, adding that other measures would be needed. “You have to go in a direction of tightening, bringing it down, bringing the deficit down.”

‘Fiscal consolidation’ faces challenges

Rising debt levels and global inflation, partly resulting from high energy costs due to the Iran war, have pushed interest rates to multidecade highs, adding to the burdens of the world’s poorest nations.

Efforts to bring debt under control with what Georgieva and other experts call “fiscal consolidation” have suffered setbacks from heavy spending during the COVID-19 pandemic and since.

“Fiscal risks are rising, and a proper reaction is largely absent in many countries,” said Rodrigo Valdes, director of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department. “And in major advanced economies, the effect of fiscal indiscipline does not stop at the border. It travels to the rest of the world.”

“Among the world’s poorest countries, interest payments have reached historic highs relative to revenue, and declining amounts of aid are creating gaps that some countries have been unable to finance,” the IMF's latest Fiscal Monitor said.

That is forcing countries to make hard choices between supporting their most vulnerable people and meeting their debt repayment obligations.

“The Global South is paying the price for rising interest rates in wealthier countries,” UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said at an event on the sidelines of the IMF meetings.

“We need a new deal on debt, a deal that supports countries to repay over longer time horizons and, crucially, refinancing with better rates to give developing countries precious fiscal space,” he said.

Nations need help with job creation and investment

The median developing country pays three times as much in interest as developed countries, said Alexander De Croo, former Belgian prime minister and administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

On average, nearly 10% of government spending goes toward debt repayments. High fuel and fertilizer prices, the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon and rising borrowing costs have left many low-income countries with little room to recover.

“I mean, we don’t see really a light at the end of the tunnel,” De Croo told The Associated Press.

Creating jobs is another top priority, particularly as the growing use of artificial intelligence threatens to make many traditional occupations obsolete. More than 1.2 billion young people are expected to enter the global workforce over the next decade or so, while forecasts suggest only 400 million net new jobs will be created.

The UNDP this week announced its “Jobs for Prosperity” initiative to bring together governments, development banks — such as the World Bank — and private businesses to encourage investment in sectors such as tourism, healthcare and food processing.

The initiative and related efforts will help countries attract investment by strengthening governance and policies and developing pipelines of “investible projects,” De Croo said.

“These are things that are feasible. It’s been proven that you can do it in many places of the world,” he added.

Separately, the IMF, Bank of Thailand and World Bank Group announced a “Bangkok Blueprint” on Wednesday to combat cybercrime, financial fraud and online scams.

The announcement came a day after cyberattacks caused refrigeration systems to overheat at hundreds of stores in France.

Business

Unified Trade, Export Body to Expand Saudi Products’ Global Reach

Containers lined up at a Saudi port (SPA)
Containers lined up at a Saudi port (SPA)
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Unified Trade, Export Body to Expand Saudi Products’ Global Reach

Containers lined up at a Saudi port (SPA)
Containers lined up at a Saudi port (SPA)

The decision to merge the General Authority for Foreign Trade and the Saudi Export Development Authority into a single body, the General Authority for Foreign Trade and Export, aims to strengthen institutional integration and unify efforts to support Saudi exports and expand the presence of Saudi products in global markets.

The cabinet, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, approved the merger and ordered the necessary preparations, with matters requiring regulatory action to be submitted within 180 days.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, minister of industry and mineral resources, will chair the new authority’s board, with the commerce minister serving as deputy chairman.

The move comes as foreign trade assumes growing importance as a driver of economic growth, a means of making Saudi products more competitive and a gateway for domestic businesses to reach broader international markets.

Support for exporters

Consolidating responsibilities and coordinating initiatives is expected to improve efficiency, expand access to foreign markets and develop tools to support exporters, in line with goals to diversify the Saudi economy and increase the contribution of non-oil exports to economic growth.

Specialists told Asharq Al-Awsat that, as merger requirements are completed within 180 days, attention will turn to the new authority’s operations, performance indicators and ability to translate organizational integration into broader export opportunities and lasting gains for the Saudi economy, while supporting the private sector by creating more opportunities for domestic companies.

Small and medium-sized enterprises

Osama bin Ghanem Al-Obaidi, a consultant and professor of commercial law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the next phase, following the merger of the two authorities, “requires a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them overcome export challenges and build lasting international trade partnerships.”

It also requires “developing clear performance indicators that measure growth in non-oil exports, track the number of new markets reached by Saudi products and assess how much exporters benefit from the services provided,” Al-Obaidi said.

He said the decision brings together efforts to open markets and enable Saudi products to reach them, “in a step that strengthens their competitiveness and shortens their path to global markets.”

The move “simplifies procedures and facilitates trade by improving integration between the two bodies and developing a unified platform that saves users time and money, strengthening the kingdom’s economic competitiveness and attracting more domestic and foreign investment,” he added.

“In my view, the new authority’s success will be measured by the value it adds to the national economy, rather than simply by the consolidation of organizational structures,” Al-Obaidi said.

“The more institutional integration translates into increased export opportunities, stronger competitiveness for Saudi products and diversified sources of income, the closer this step will come to achieving its economic objectives, supporting Vision 2030 goals and strengthening the kingdom’s position in global trade.”

Strategic dimensions

Economic researcher and technology consultant Fadwa Al-Bawardi said the merger represents a pivotal organizational shift, reflecting the national drive to strengthen trade governance and unify efforts to integrate trade policy with export development.

The decision’s strategic implications extend beyond administrative restructuring, she said. The new body will provide a vital bridge between the opening of global markets and the strengthening of the production capabilities of Saudi contractors and companies.

Investors are seeking more than new sales outlets, Al-Bawardi told Asharq Al-Awsat. They also want to build a strong production base that encourages exports.

She said the new body’s real challenge lies in “overcoming logistical and regulatory obstacles and making Saudi products more competitive in international trade.”

Trade disputes and restrictions

“The competitive presence of Saudi goods and services in global markets does not depend on quality alone,” Al-Bawardi said.

“It also requires an integrated support system that facilitates market access, addresses trade disputes and restrictions, and steps up international promotion initiatives, giving domestic exporters the support they need to compete with confidence and capability.”

She said the true measure of the move’s success would be “the new structure’s ability to translate institutional consolidation into a tangible economic impact, measured by simpler procedures, unified service platforms and faster responses to the needs of businesses and domestic factories, as well as entry into promising markets that expand the presence of non-oil exports.”

Business

Saudi TAQA Expands Int’l Reach From Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan to Syria

A technician monitors TAQA’s field operations. (Company handout)
A technician monitors TAQA’s field operations. (Company handout)
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Saudi TAQA Expands Int’l Reach From Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan to Syria

A technician monitors TAQA’s field operations. (Company handout)
A technician monitors TAQA’s field operations. (Company handout)

Saudi Arabia’s Industrialization and Energy Services Company (TAQA) is expanding in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Syria as it develops the well solutions and specialized technologies driving its growth.

The company, 54% owned by the Public Investment Fund, uses Saudi Arabia as its main operating hub and launchpad for international expansion.

Chief Executive Adel Al-Ghadhban told Asharq Al-Awsat in exclusive comments during the World Petroleum Congress that TAQA was building its presence in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and establishing operations in Syria.

It has set up a legal entity in Azerbaijan and qualified as a supplier to state-owned SOCAR. In Kazakhstan, registration and qualification procedures have begun with several customers.

Cooperation with SOCAR covers opportunities in oil and gas field operations and services, as well as 'well services and technologies,' Al-Ghadhban said.

TAQA has moved into practical steps to establish itself in Azerbaijan, completing incorporation procedures and registering as a qualified supplier.

Asked about project budgets and timelines, he said the memorandum of understanding set a framework for cooperation, separate from any contracts or projects that might follow. TAQA prefers to announce each project once its scope is finalized and commercial arrangements are approved.

The Caspian region and Central Asia offer significant growth opportunities, he said. TAQA’s international strategy targets markets where it can add value and build sustainable businesses, rather than expand for geographic reach alone.

Well solutions drive growth

Well solutions are TAQA’s main growth engine, Al-Ghadhban said. They span drilling, well completion and intervention, well testing, wireline services, cementing, stimulation and early production facilities.

The company performed strongly in 2025 in areas including well testing, completion and wireline services. It also advanced the development and commercialization of drilling, completion and well intervention technologies.

TAQA is integrating its services and technologies to cover multiple stages of a well’s life cycle. The focus is on directing investment toward higher-value services, bringing technologies to market faster and expanding selectively into markets offering profitable, sustainable growth.

Digitalization and innovation

TAQA sees innovation and advanced technologies as pillars of growth, supported by its innovation center in Dhahran Techno Valley and specialized centers developing drilling, completion and well intervention products.

Development starts with identifying customers’ challenges, Al-Ghadhban said. The company then develops, tests and qualifies solutions in the field before turning them into products and technologies that can be scaled commercially.

Its digitalization efforts focus on data, artificial intelligence and automation in research and development projects, working with customers, industry partners and academic institutions.

Technology investments aim to make operations more efficient, improve well performance and reduce time, total costs and operational risks for customers.

TAQA prefers to withhold specific figures for future investment until plans and budgets are approved, he said.

Supply chain resilience

Geopolitical challenges have sharpened TAQA’s focus on resilience, operational discipline and cost competitiveness as it faces pressures on operating costs and supply chains, Al-Ghadhban said.

The company has updated its operating model to clarify responsibilities, speed up decisions and simplify processes. It has also improved the use of assets and resources and strengthened supplier partnerships.

For some product lines, TAQA has diversified its sources of production and research and development to strengthen supply chain resilience and manufacturing efficiency.

Efficiency means more than cutting expenses, Al-Ghadhban said. It also requires improving how work is carried out and capital is allocated, while balancing competitiveness and service continuity with safety, quality and reliability.

About TAQA

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Dhahran, TAQA provides integrated oil and gas well solutions. Its services include drilling, well completion and intervention, well testing, wireline logging, cementing, hydraulic fracturing and well integrity.

The company operates in more than 20 countries and employs more than 5,500 people. Its portfolio spans drilling, geophysical services and surveying, with companies including Arabian Drilling, the Arabian Geophysical and Surveying Company (ARGAS).