Investment Ministry: Development of Local Investments is Major Catalyst of Saudi Economy

Dr. Saad Alshahrani participates in a session at the Priority Summit in Miami. Asharq Al-Awsat
Dr. Saad Alshahrani participates in a session at the Priority Summit in Miami. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Investment Ministry: Development of Local Investments is Major Catalyst of Saudi Economy

Dr. Saad Alshahrani participates in a session at the Priority Summit in Miami. Asharq Al-Awsat
Dr. Saad Alshahrani participates in a session at the Priority Summit in Miami. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Investment Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment Studies, Dr. Saad Alshahrani, has stressed that the development of local investments is a major driver of the Saudi economy, pointing out that the economic performance of the Gulf region and the Middle East has made it attract more foreign investments.

He cited the significant growth achieved by the Kingdom in the last three years in the volume of local and foreign investments.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency during his participation in the Priority Summit in Miami, Al-Shahrani pointed out that fixed capital formation achieved a growth of 29% in 2022.
The number of issued investment licenses in recent years, reached nearly 9,000 licenses issued during 2023 while previously, it did not exceed 400 licenses.

The investment opportunities before launching the National Investment Strategy (NIS) were approximately 200, and today there are approximately 1,600 investment opportunities in different quality industries and multiple regions in the Kingdom, through 40 initiatives and four pillars.
Al-Shahrani said that the National Investment Strategy signifies Saudi Arabia's commitment to diversifying its economy and catalyzing growth through strategic investments, adding that the comprehensive incentives program, including 30-year tax exemptions, showcases Saudi Arabia's determination to attract and support global investors in key sectors like manufacturing and technology.



Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.