Saudi Arabia Seeks to Monitor Projects in Iraq, Expand Private Sector Businesses

Saudi Arabia to expand the export of its national products and services abroad (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia to expand the export of its national products and services abroad (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Seeks to Monitor Projects in Iraq, Expand Private Sector Businesses

Saudi Arabia to expand the export of its national products and services abroad (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia to expand the export of its national products and services abroad (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is intensifying its efforts to expand the scope of private sector businesses and open wider horizons for national products and services, through a number of programs, initiatives, and services.

The Saudi Export Development Authority (SEDA) called on the private sector to review the latest reports on projects in Iraq through the “International Tenders” service, in a step towards providing continuous support to exporters and identifying the best investments that contribute to expanding their business.

The International Tenders service aims to open new opportunities for national companies to expand in international markets and increase their competitiveness by allowing them to export services and products via international tenders in several targeted sectors.

Saudi Exports called on all companies interested in receiving the service to register, which is a condition for any company to get the service.

Last year, SEDA launched the "International Tenders" service to support exporters, increase their competitiveness, and boost the export rate of Saudi services, products, and re-exportation.

The Authority will identify over 120 international tender opportunities in a number of target countries, mainly covering construction and industrial supplies and infrastructure projects.

The service includes eight targeted sectors and 24 sub-branches, where Saudi Exports will provide periodic reports with data and analyses for the most important projects in targeted countries.

Saudi Exports will also provide periodic reports on data and analysis of the most important projects in the targeted countries.

Last month, SEDA launched Institutional Transformation Strategy to boost non-oil exports, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.

The Strategy aims to move to a new stage that aligns with the objectives of Vision 2030 in integration with a number of relevant government agencies to diversify the local economy by promoting Saudi non-oil exports.

Saudi Exports announced that over 220 exporting companies benefited from the 'Saudi Export Stimulus' Program, while the 'Made in Saudi Arabia' Program attracted over 1,200 local companies and introduced their products to global markets.

The authority's new strategy aims to boost the participation of non-oil exports from 16 percent to at least 50 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, in line with Vision 2030.

The Saudi government is focused on boosting non-oil exports by providing programs and initiatives aligned with Vision 2030, including “Made in Saudi Arabia,” under the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP).

The Program aims to support national products through an effective economy and unify production services. It combines the identity of Saudi products and services to promote them locally and internationally.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.