Saudi Vision 2030 Enters Third Phase with 93% of Targets Met

The Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA)
The Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA)
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Saudi Vision 2030 Enters Third Phase with 93% of Targets Met

The Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA)
The Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA)

Saudi Arabia will enter the third phase of its Vision 2030 reform program in 2026, with 93% of performance indicators having met, exceeded or nearly reached their targets, according to the initiative’s 2025 annual report.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said the Kingdom was moving toward a better future through the achievements of Vision 2030, describing it as a model for harnessing resources and capabilities to deliver broad-based development.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for his part, stressed that a decade of reforms under Vision 2030 had produced an “exceptional transformational model,” translating ambitions into tangible results through the efforts of Saudi citizens and state institutions.

“What we have achieved in recent years places upon us a great responsibility to redouble efforts and intensify plans and tools in a way that strengthens gains and ensures sustainable impact,” he stated.

The report highlighted that Saudi Arabia was entering the third and final five-year phase of Vision 2030, running through 2030, after a decade of economic and social reforms aimed at diversification and sustainable growth.

Vision 2030 is structured in three five-year phases. The first, from 2016 to 2020, focused on legislative and institutional foundations, including regulatory reforms, creation of new entities and restructuring of the Public Investment Fund as a driver of growth.

The second phase, from 2021 to 2025, accelerated implementation of national strategies across sectors and regions while investing in new growth opportunities.

Performance indicators

Official data showed 93% of performance indicators under Vision programs had achieved or exceeded annual targets, or were close to doing so.

Of 390 active indicators, 309 met or surpassed interim targets, while 52 had achieved between 85% and 99% of their goals. Of 1,290 active initiatives, 935 have been completed since the launch of the plan, while 225 are progressing on schedule, meaning 90% are either complete or on track.

Economic indicators

Real GDP grew 4.5% in 2025 from a year earlier, the highest annual expansion in three years, while non-oil activities accounted for more than half of the economy, the report said.

Saudi unemployment fell to 7.2% at the end of 2025 from 12.3% at the end of 2016, helped by labor market reforms and broader economic growth. Inflation remained relatively stable at 2.0%.

Major ratings agencies maintained positive sovereign assessments. Moody’s affirmed an Aa3 rating with a stable outlook, while Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings maintained A+ ratings with stable outlooks.

Growth forecasts

The International Monetary Fund forecasts Saudi growth of 3.1% in 2026 and 4.5% in 2027. The World Bank projects growth of 4.3% and 4.4% in those years, while the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forecasts 4.0% and 3.6%. For its part, Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry projects growth of 4.6% in 2026 and 3.7% in 2027.

Social and sector reforms

Home ownership among Saudi households rose and participation in physical activity increased. Non-oil exports reached record levels, driven by industrial growth and logistics development, while the Kingdom improved its position in global competitiveness rankings.

Efforts to digitize government services and expand access to data continued, alongside growth in volunteering and volunteer opportunities.

Third phase

The report said the third phase would maintain long-term goals while adapting implementation methods to new requirements.

Governance and regular monitoring of performance indicators would remain central to measuring progress and adjusting course amid global economic shifts requiring flexibility and spending efficiency aligned with national priorities.



Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc Scales Back Flights Due to Fuel Costs

 People board a Royal Air Maroc flight on July 15, 2020 at Bordeaux airport. (AFP)
People board a Royal Air Maroc flight on July 15, 2020 at Bordeaux airport. (AFP)
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Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc Scales Back Flights Due to Fuel Costs

 People board a Royal Air Maroc flight on July 15, 2020 at Bordeaux airport. (AFP)
People board a Royal Air Maroc flight on July 15, 2020 at Bordeaux airport. (AFP)

Morocco's state-owned carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) said on Saturday it would temporarily suspend several routes to African and European destinations due to ‌rising jet ‌fuel prices, ‌elevated ⁠operating costs and ⁠weak demand.

Tensions in the Middle East have driven a surge in global jet fuel ⁠prices, putting ‌pressure ‌on carriers and ‌prompting temporary route suspensions.

RAM ‌will pause flights linking Moroccan airports with several African cities ‌of Bangui, Brazzaville, Kinshasa, Douala, Yaounde and ⁠Libreville, ⁠the airline said in a statement.

It will also halt flights to the European destinations of Malaga, Barcelona, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille and Brussels.


Official: Iraq Has Not Yet Applied for an IMF Loan

A floating oil export platform in Basra port, Iraq (Reuters)
A floating oil export platform in Basra port, Iraq (Reuters)
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Official: Iraq Has Not Yet Applied for an IMF Loan

A floating oil export platform in Basra port, Iraq (Reuters)
A floating oil export platform in Basra port, Iraq (Reuters)

Financial Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister Mazhar Mohammed Saleh revealed on Saturday that Iraq has not yet submitted a formal request for a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Iraqi News Agency quoted Saleh as saying that “Iraq enjoys close relations with the IMF, and since 2003, it has concluded more than five agreements, three of which were Stand-by Arrangements, while the other agreements related to emergency support.”

Iran's war has caused significant disruptions in supply chains, especially in the energy sector, which was severely affected by a near-complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global oil supplies pass.

Saleh stated that “the Fund has played a significant role in supporting the Iraqi economy over the past 23 years, especially since Iraq is now considered one of the biggest victims of the ongoing war in the region, considering that 85 percent of its oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This has caused significant harm and international concern, given that Iraq is an important and active member in the stability of the region and world markets.”

He pointed out that there is an Iraqi government team in contact with the IMF, meeting with Fund officials for consultations twice a year.

He clarified that “Iraq signed an agreement with the IMF on July 7, 2016, for a Stand-by Arrangement by providing a significant loan, which played a major role in supporting the general budget,” noting that “signing an agreement with the Fund is a matter decided by the Iraqi government, and this does not prevent consultations between the two parties, as Iraq is a member of this institution responsible for global stability.”

Saleh mentioned that “Iraq will borrow from the International Monetary Fund if the need arises, but there is no formal request from the government yet, and the current need is for the war in the region to stop, and for its geopolitical impacts on oil exports to cease.”

He added that “technical assistance from the IMF is available now, unlike the issue of financing, which requires the approval of a program by the Iraqi government.”

He explained that “the loan itself represents a reform program to support the budget or to achieve social goals, such as supporting the health and education sectors, because it is a human investment that must be subject to conditions defining expenditure directions and commitment to a reform program agreed upon by the Iraqi state and the IMF.”


Mawani Adds CMA CGM’s Ocean Rise Express Service to Jeddah Port

Mawani Adds CMA CGM’s Ocean Rise Express Service to Jeddah Port
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Mawani Adds CMA CGM’s Ocean Rise Express Service to Jeddah Port

Mawani Adds CMA CGM’s Ocean Rise Express Service to Jeddah Port

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has added CMA CGM's Ocean Rise Express (OCR) shipping service to Jeddah Islamic Port, aiming to strengthen maritime connectivity between Saudi Arabia and global markets, support the smooth flow of supply chains, and increase the efficiency of port operations.

The OCR service will connect Jeddah to key international ports, including Kobe, Nagoya, and Yokohama in Japan; Xiamen, Yantian, and Nansha in China; Rotterdam in the Netherlands; Hamburg in Germany; and Southampton in the United Kingdom.

The route will utilize vessels with a capacity of up to 10,000 TEUs, according to SPA.

This addition aligns with Mawani’s efforts to enhance Jeddah Islamic Port’s global competitiveness and support international trade.

By enabling access to new markets, the initiative reinforces the Kingdom's position as a global logistics hub in line with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.