Investment Strategy to Support Saudi Economy’s Competitiveness at Global Level

 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman smiles during a televised interview in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2021. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman smiles during a televised interview in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2021. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
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Investment Strategy to Support Saudi Economy’s Competitiveness at Global Level

 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman smiles during a televised interview in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2021. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman smiles during a televised interview in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2021. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

Saudi economic experts underlined the importance of the National Investment Strategy launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, saying that it would contribute to raising the competitiveness of the Saudi economy globally, and would translate the capabilities and opportunities available in the Kingdom into a practical investment reality.

Member of the Trade and Investment Committee in the Shura Council, Dr. Faisal Al Fadel, said that the strategy had fundamental economic dimensions that support Saudi Vision 2030.

He noted that Saudi Arabia’s economy enjoyed abundant natural resources and a strategic location in the heart of the main trade routes between the three continents, in addition to the major economic reforms that are currently underway.

This diversity of resources and particular location attracts local and foreign investors, according to Fadel.

He added that the strategy would enhance the strength and position of the private sector at the regional and global levels, which would encourage foreign companies to support the growth of the sector to become a positive contributor to the domestic product.

Dr. Osama Al-Obaidi, consultant and professor of economic and international law at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, said that Saudi Arabia enjoyed huge investment capabilities, adding that the strategy announced by the Crown Prince on Monday would seek to translate this great potential into practical actions.

According to Al-Obaidi, the strategy would contribute to increasing Saudi economic growth and diversifying its sources, which would help achieve the goals of Vision 2030.

He also pointed to the development of the legislative environment and the increase in investment opportunities offered to local and foreign investors.



Egypt Targets 10 mln Ton Wheat Harvest

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
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Egypt Targets 10 mln Ton Wheat Harvest

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Egypt expects to harvest 10 million tonnes of wheat this year, up from 9 million in 2023, driven by improved crop yields and ambitious land reclamation efforts, Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk told Reuters late on Wednesday.

He said 3.1175 million feddans (about 1.30 million hectares) have been cultivated this season — slightly lower than the 3.5 million feddans announced earlier by the planning ministry and 3.2 million feddans in 2024 (1.34 million hectares), suggesting a possible decline in total wheat area.

Farmers have told Reuters that wheat has become less profitable compared to crops like beet, whose area increased from 500,000 feddans (210,000 hectares) to 700,000 feddans (294,000 hectares) this year.

The government plans to buy 4-5 million tonnes of local wheat and import about 6 million tonnes to provide heavily subsidised bread for over 69 million Egyptians.

Farouk said newer high-yield wheat strains developed by the Agricultural Research Center have raised productivity by 7-8.5%.

"This is vertical expansion, and horizontal expansion is coming," he said.

That horizontal expansion is led by the Mostakbal Misr for Sustainable Development, which plans to reclaim 4 million feddans across the country.

Farouk said some of that land is ready for production and the rest will follow in the next two years, offering major opportunities for agricultural investment.

Mostakbal Misr, recently tasked with wheat imports, is also developing infrastructure and growing crops tailored to local consumption, exports and agri-processing, Farouk said..

Farouk added the government is studying a potential rise in local fertilizer prices. Urea and nitrate fertilizers cost around 9,500 Egyptian pounds ($185) per tonne to produce but are sold at a subsidized 4,500 ($87.63). Export prices reach up to 20,000 pounds ($389.48), Farouk said.