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Saudi Industrial Investments Rise by 54% Following Exemption from Financial Fees

A factory in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A factory in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Industrial Investments Rise by 54% Following Exemption from Financial Fees

A factory in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A factory in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced that industrial investments in the Kingdom have increased by 54%, reaching around SAR 1.5 trillion. This surge follows a 2019 government decision to exempt the industrial sector from financial fees.

A report by the Federation assessed the economic impact of the government's decision to bear the financial fees for the industrial sector from 2019 until the end of 2025. The study used a comprehensive approach, measuring the decision’s impact based on seven economic indicators: contribution to GDP, the number of industrial establishments, investment volume, employment, non-oil exports, the quality of national products, and foreign investments in the sector.

According to the report, economic data and indicators confirm the positive effects of the exemption on the national economy overall, and the industrial sector in particular.

The sector’s GDP contribution rose from SAR 392 billion in 2019 to SAR 592 billion in 2023, accounting for 14.7% of GDP. The number of industrial establishments grew from 7,625 in 2019 to 11,868 by 2024, a growth rate of 55.6%. Additionally, investments in the sector increased by 54%, reaching approximately SAR 1.5 trillion compared to SAR 992 billion previously.

The report highlighted that foreign investments in the industrial sector have grown, thanks to the decision to bear financial fees. The number of foreign factories increased from 622 to 1,067, reflecting a growth rate of 71.5%. The capital invested in the sector grew from SAR 43 billion to SAR 93 billion, a growth rate of 116.2%.

By the end of the first quarter of 2024, the number of workers in the industrial sector reached around 1.2 million, including 358,000 Saudis, with a localization rate of about 28%. Saudi workers in the industrial sector represent around 12.9% of the total Saudis employed in the private sector.

The industrial sector became the largest contributor to creating jobs for Saudis during the period from Jan. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, with the number of nationals increasing by 59%, adding more than 82,000 jobs.

The report also noted that the industrial sector helped boost non-oil exports, which reached an estimated SAR 208 billion, achieving a 12% growth.

Additionally, the report explained that the decision contributed to improving the quality of national products, through the adoption of new business models by industrial establishments, the localization of the latest technologies in manufacturing, the attraction of skilled talent, and the increase in product offerings to meet local market demands.

These efforts resulted in a rise in the percentage of industrial product exports, increased domestic demand for local products, and a higher number of products receiving the Saudi Quality Mark from the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization.

In September 2019, the government issued a decision to bear the financial fees imposed on expatriate workers in industrial establishments. The decision was recently extended until the end of 2025. Over 8,000 industrial establishments have benefited from the move, with the estimated cost of expatriate labor fees on the industrial sector amounting to around SAR 5 billion.

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Business

Iraq Says Kurdish Authorities Refusing to Let It Send Oil Through Their Pipeline

A truck drives at the Iraq-Iran border crossing of Bashmagh near Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 11, 2026. (AFP)
A truck drives at the Iraq-Iran border crossing of Bashmagh near Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 11, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraq Says Kurdish Authorities Refusing to Let It Send Oil Through Their Pipeline

A truck drives at the Iraq-Iran border crossing of Bashmagh near Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 11, 2026. (AFP)
A truck drives at the Iraq-Iran border crossing of Bashmagh near Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 11, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq’s oil ministry said the Kurdistan Regional Government had refused to let it use a pipeline as an alternative route for crude flows disrupted by the Iran conflict, accusing authorities there of putting up irrelevant conditions.

A senior Kurdish government official told Reuters authorities there would be happy for the Iraqi government to use the pipeline, but said Baghdad first needed to lift what he called a "dollar ‌embargo" on the ‌region.

"We want a deal. We ‌want ⁠to help Iraq ⁠and bring relief to the markets, but this embargo must end first," the official said.

Oil production from Iraq's main southern oilfields, where most of its crude is produced and exported, has plunged 70% to just 1.3 million bpd, sources told Reuters on March 8, ⁠as the Iran conflict effectively shut off ‌the vital Strait of ‌Hormuz.

Iraq's oil ministry sent a letter in early March to ‌the Kurdistan Regional Government seeking permission to pump ‌at least 100,000 barrels per day of crude from Kirkuk oilfields through the Kurdistan pipeline network to Türkiye's Ceyhan energy hub, two oil officials told Reuters last week.

The Kurdish official ‌said they had been pressing for an end to what he said was ⁠a bar ⁠on the region's banks accessing dollars for goods imported through its borders and airports.

Kurdish officials say tensions with Baghdad have risen after the federal government moved to implement a new electronic customs system, allowing it to monitor imports and revenues, a step the KRG sees as undermining its autonomy and control over trade.

Iraq's oil ministry said the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources had "set a number of conditions unrelated to the issue of crude oil exports."

Business

Over 400 Million Barrels of Emergency Oil Reserves to Flow to Global Markets Soon, IEA Says

A woman holds a fuel pump as she fills her car tank at a gas station in the Manhattan borough of New York City on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
A woman holds a fuel pump as she fills her car tank at a gas station in the Manhattan borough of New York City on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
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Over 400 Million Barrels of Emergency Oil Reserves to Flow to Global Markets Soon, IEA Says

A woman holds a fuel pump as she fills her car tank at a gas station in the Manhattan borough of New York City on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
A woman holds a fuel pump as she fills her car tank at a gas station in the Manhattan borough of New York City on March 14, 2026. (AFP)

Oil from the International Energy Agency emergency reserves will begin flowing to global markets soon, with member countries pledging to make available 411.9 million barrels, ‌the agency ‌said in ‌a ⁠statement on Sunday.

Governments have ⁠committed to make available 271.7 million barrels of oil from government stocks, 116.6 million ⁠barrels from obligated industry ‌stocks ‌and 23.6 million barrels ‌from other sources, the ‌statement said.

It added that 72% of planned releases are in ‌the form of crude oil and 28% ⁠are ⁠oil products.

Stocks from Asia Oceania countries will be available immediately and stocks from Europe and the Americas will be available at the end of March.

Business

Saudi Economy Accelerates as Diversification and Legal Reforms Drive Growth

Quality of life represents a strategic national priority in Saudi Arabia (SPA). 
Quality of life represents a strategic national priority in Saudi Arabia (SPA). 
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Saudi Economy Accelerates as Diversification and Legal Reforms Drive Growth

Quality of life represents a strategic national priority in Saudi Arabia (SPA). 
Quality of life represents a strategic national priority in Saudi Arabia (SPA). 

Saudi Arabia’s economy has undergone nearly a decade of transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as sweeping reforms and diversification efforts reshape the country’s economic landscape.

Since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030 in April 2016, the Kingdom has embarked on its most significant economic shift in decades. The transformation has extended far beyond fiscal adjustments or limited diversification programs, evolving instead into a broad structural reform aimed at reducing reliance on oil and building a more diverse and dynamic economy.

Economic indicators suggest the strategy is gaining traction. Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose from about SAR 2.6 trillion in 2016 to nearly SAR 4.7 trillion in recent years, roughly $1.3 trillion, according to the latest official figures. That represents an average cumulative annual growth rate of about 8 percent, placing the Kingdom among the fastest-growing major economies globally during this period.

The shift reflects Vision 2030’s broader strategy to expand non-oil industries and widen the country’s production base beyond hydrocarbons.

 

Faisal Al-Fadhel, a legal expert in economic legislation and a member of the board of trustees of the Riyadh Economic Forum, said the reforms launched under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have introduced a more diversified and sustainable economic model.

“Saudi Arabia has moved toward reducing its dependence on oil while expanding promising sectors such as tourism, technology, logistics and advanced industries,” Al-Fadhel told Asharq Al-Awsat. “This approach enhances the resilience of the national economy and increases the attractiveness of the Saudi market for both domestic and foreign investors.”

Recent economic indicators support that assessment. Non-oil activities have recorded strong growth, the private sector’s contribution to GDP has expanded, and foreign direct investment inflows have increased. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has improved its standing in global competitiveness indicators, reinforcing its ambitions to become a regional hub for business and investment.

Al-Fadhel noted that the transformation has also been supported by a broad legislative reform agenda designed to modernize the regulatory environment. Key economic and commercial laws — including the Companies Law, Investment Law, and Bankruptcy Law — have been updated, alongside regulations related to corporate governance, investor protection and competition. The reforms aim to improve transparency, regulatory certainty and the efficiency of the investment environment.

Non-Oil Sectors Lead Growth

One of the most visible outcomes of the economic shift is the rising contribution of non-oil sectors, which now account for 56 percent of GDP. Data show that non-oil activities were the primary driver of real economic growth in 2025.

Saudi Arabia ended 2025 with its strongest growth in two years, with GDP expanding 4.5 percent, according to estimates by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The economy grew 5 percent in the fourth quarter, with all major sectors contributing to the expansion compared with 2024.

Labor Market Changes

The Saudi labor market has also seen notable shifts. Unemployment among Saudi nationals has declined, while female participation in the workforce has reached record levels following a series of labor and regulatory reforms.

More than 2.48 million Saudis have joined the private sector in recent years, reflecting the impact of job localization policies. Economic transformation programs have also generated roughly 800,000 new jobs, with strong growth in engineering professions.

Employment opportunities have expanded particularly in tourism, supported by major entertainment and tourism projects, as well as in the pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing industries, where job numbers have doubled.

Investment at the Center

Investment has become a central pillar of the Kingdom’s economic strategy. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has positioned both domestic and foreign investment as key drivers of growth and diversification.

The government established the Ministry of Investment and launched the National Investment Strategy as a comprehensive framework to boost capital formation. Total investment — measured by fixed capital formation — has risen from about SAR 672 billion in 2017 to roughly SAR 1.44 trillion by the end of 2024, more than doubling in less than a decade.

Al-Fadhel emphasized that the private sector is a critical partner in achieving Vision 2030 goals through expanded investment, technological adoption, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Public Investment Fund Expands Role

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has emerged as a central instrument of the transformation. With assets estimated at SAR 3.47 trillion, it has become one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.

PIF is leading major investments in tourism, renewable energy, industry, technology and entertainment while launching large-scale development projects designed to create new industries and strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a global economic hub.