Saudi Reef Launches Rural Tourism Business Incubators to Promote Entrepreneurship

Saudi Reef Launches Rural Tourism Business Incubators to Promote Entrepreneurship
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Saudi Reef Launches Rural Tourism Business Incubators to Promote Entrepreneurship

Saudi Reef Launches Rural Tourism Business Incubators to Promote Entrepreneurship

The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program (Saudi Reef) launched the "Rural Development" and "Rural Tourism" business incubators to foster entrepreneurship within Saudi Arabia's agricultural sector.

The initiative aims to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly among small farmers and rural producers, by providing them with the tools and skills needed to develop their products and accelerate growth.

The effort aligns with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals, which seek to improve the standard of living and quality of life in rural areas.

Saudi Reef offers various forms of support to small farmers, entrepreneurs, and rural tourism operators. The business incubators focus on developing core entrepreneurial skills, such as strategic planning, business management, marketing, and finance.

Additionally, the initiative promotes the creation of innovative business models within the rural development sector.



Saudi Non-Oil Sector Grows 4.9% in Q2, Exceeding Estimates

Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Non-Oil Sector Grows 4.9% in Q2, Exceeding Estimates

Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia's non-oil economy grew by 4.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, beating the July estimate of 4.4%.

According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), this is the highest growth rate in a year, up from 3.4% in the first quarter of 2024 and 4.2% and 3.2% in the last two quarters of 2023.

The IMF forecasts that Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP growth will stay strong.

Its latest report says that smart economic policies, transformative reforms, and increased investment have driven this growth, pushing employment above pre-COVID levels. Continuing these efforts is key to maintaining growth and diversifying the economy.

The IMF also predicts that reform momentum will rise in 2025 with more investment, especially from the Public Investment Fund, which plans to boost its annual investments from $40 billion to $70 billion.

This is in preparation for major events like the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the 2029 Winter Asian Games, and Expo 2030. Full execution of the national investment strategy could push non-oil GDP growth to 8%.

Saudi authorities project non-oil growth to stay at 4% in 2024 and are confident that Vision 2030 will help sustain this growth long-term.

The General Authority for Statistics reported a 0.3% decline in real GDP in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, better than the 0.4% drop expected.

Compared to the first quarter of 2024, seasonally adjusted real GDP grew by 1.4%. Non-oil sectors grew 4.9% year-on-year and 2.1% quarter-on-quarter.

Oil sector activity fell 8.9% year-on-year, slightly worse than the July estimate of 8.5%, but rose 0.9% quarter-on-quarter.

Government activities grew 3.6% year-on-year and 2.3% quarter-on-quarter.