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.



Turkish Central Bank Keeps Key Interest Rate at 37%

The Turkish Central Bank headquarters in Ankara (Reuters)
The Turkish Central Bank headquarters in Ankara (Reuters)
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Turkish Central Bank Keeps Key Interest Rate at 37%

The Turkish Central Bank headquarters in Ankara (Reuters)
The Turkish Central Bank headquarters in Ankara (Reuters)

Türkiye's central bank left its key interest rate at 37% on Thursday, as expected, keeping it unchanged for a fifth consecutive meeting as it continues to monitor the inflation impact of the Iran war.

The central bank said recent indicators suggested that the underlying trend of inflation was decelerating, though elevated energy prices posed an upward risk to the inflation outlook.

"The impact of geopolitical developments on the inflation outlook through the cost channel, economic ⁠activity and expectations is ⁠closely monitored," Reuters quoted the bank as saying in a statement.

The lira held steady at 48.4950 against the dollar after the announcement, while the main Istanbul share index was slightly lower.

In a Reuters poll, 16 of 17 economists had forecast the policy rate would remain at 37%, while ⁠one had expected a 100-basis-point cut.

The central bank also did not adjust its overnight lending and borrowing rates from 40% and 35.5%, respectively. The bank uses the rate corridor to adjust the cost of funding to the market, when necessary, without changing the benchmark rate.

Last month, the central bank resumed one-week repo auctions, which had been suspended since March in order to control the inflationary impact of the Iran war. Overnight interest rates, which had ⁠remained ⁠at around 40% since the suspension, fell by 300 basis points.

The war-related surge in energy prices has rattled import-reliant economies such as Türkiye, where inflation was 31.51% last month.

In the latest inflation report, the central bank raised its inflation forecast for the end of 2026 to 28%, from 26%. The government sees inflation at 28.4% at the end of this year.

Economists continued to expect monetary easing over the remainder of the year, but are closely monitoring new tensions in the region and their impact on inflation.


OPEC Further Lowers 2026 Global Oil Demand Growth Forecast

FILED - 09 December 2023, United Arab Emirates, Dubai: FILE PHOTO - A view of the OPEC pavilion on the COP28 grounds. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa
FILED - 09 December 2023, United Arab Emirates, Dubai: FILE PHOTO - A view of the OPEC pavilion on the COP28 grounds. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa
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OPEC Further Lowers 2026 Global Oil Demand Growth Forecast

FILED - 09 December 2023, United Arab Emirates, Dubai: FILE PHOTO - A view of the OPEC pavilion on the COP28 grounds. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa
FILED - 09 December 2023, United Arab Emirates, Dubai: FILE PHOTO - A view of the OPEC pavilion on the COP28 grounds. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa

OPEC on Thursday lowered its forecast for world oil demand growth in 2026 to 380,000 barrels per day, ⁠a copy of its ⁠monthly report showed, marking the fifth straight downward revision.

The producer group continues ⁠to see a smaller impact on consumption since the Iran war started than other forecasters, such as the International Energy Agency, which expects demand to decline in 2026.

The ⁠Organization ⁠of the Petroleum Exporting Countries also raised its forecast for 2027 oil demand growth, according to the report on its website.


HSBC's 1st Female CFO Pam Kaur to Step Down in 2027

FILE PHOTO: HSBC logo is seen in this illustration taken January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: HSBC logo is seen in this illustration taken January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
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HSBC's 1st Female CFO Pam Kaur to Step Down in 2027

FILE PHOTO: HSBC logo is seen in this illustration taken January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: HSBC logo is seen in this illustration taken January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

HSBC Chief Financial Officer, Pam Kaur, plans to step down in 2027, the latest high-profile executive departure at the Asia-focused lender.

Kaur will not stand for re-election as a director at the lender's 2027 annual general meeting, the bank said on Thursday, according to Reuters.

HSBC said its board has started to look for a successor, and will consider "both internal and external candidates".

Her planned exit puts leadership stability back under scrutiny. In December, HSBC unexpectedly named interim chair Brendan Nelson to the permanent role after a ⁠drawn-out, seven-month search.

Kaur's official ⁠retirement date as Group CFO would be confirmed in due course but would be no later than the company's 2027 AGM, which is usually in May, according to the bank.

Pam Kaur was the bank's first female finance chief in its over 160-year ⁠history.

Since her appointment in October 2024, Kaur has been widely regarded as the top aide to HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery as he leads a global overhaul.

The restructuring splits the bank's footprint into East and West regional divisions, driven by market exits and deep cost cuts to streamline operations.

After stepping down from the full-time role of Group CFO and executive director, Kaur will take on an advisory role to support Group ⁠CEO ⁠Georges Elhedery on ongoing strategic projects, the bank said.

Last month, HSBC's global chief executive for the insurance business Edward Moncreiffe left the bank after two decades at the banking group.

Recent high-profile exits include former head of banking for Europe and the Americas Gerry Keefe, who resigned in April, and its cash equities trading heads, James Grafton and Steve Jobber, who left in February.

The bank's former US banking chief Lisa McGeough departed last September.