Al-Jadaan: China Is a Major Partner in Saudi Arabia’s Transformation under Vision 2030

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and his Chinese counterpart Lan Fo’an meet in Beijing. (Photo taken from X)
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and his Chinese counterpart Lan Fo’an meet in Beijing. (Photo taken from X)
TT

Al-Jadaan: China Is a Major Partner in Saudi Arabia’s Transformation under Vision 2030

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and his Chinese counterpart Lan Fo’an meet in Beijing. (Photo taken from X)
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan and his Chinese counterpart Lan Fo’an meet in Beijing. (Photo taken from X)

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said China is a partner in the ongoing economic transformation in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030, pointing to abundant opportunities for growth and cooperation.

Al-Jadaan and his Chinese counterpart Lan Fo’an chaired on Monday the third meeting of the Financial Subcommittee of the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee, which was held in Beijing, with the participation of a number of officials from both sides.

The participants discussed many topics, including macroeconomic conditions and policies, in addition to bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the Kingdom and China.

Al-Jadaan stressed that the committee is an important platform to boost cooperation between Riyadh and Beijing, and comes as a continuation of the long and fruitful cooperation between the two countries on financial and economic issues at the bilateral and multilateral levels. He also noted that China has become a major partner for the Kingdom’s economic transformation.

The Saudi minister emphasized the necessity to have a clear framework for macroeconomic policies to promote stability and sustainable growth, and to achieve a balance between fiscal and monetary policies.

He pointed to the enormous potential for innovation and technical cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia and highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships in areas such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and smart cities, which he said can drive economic transformation and create new paths for growth and development.

Reforms require discipline, technical depth, and strong governance of the public sector while benefiting from the expertise of the private sector, he went on to say.

The Kingdom seeks, through its presidency of the IMF International Monetary and Financial Affairs Committee, to bolster economic policy coordination and support global recovery, stressed Al-Jadaan.

At the conclusion of the committee’s work, Al-Jadaan emphasized that Saudi-Chinese relations are characterized by friendship, cooperation and mutual support at international forums.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
TT

Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.