Saudi EXIM Launches New Strategy to Reach Global Markets

EXIM announced the 2022 - 2026 strategy, approved by the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund (NDF), during an event in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
EXIM announced the 2022 - 2026 strategy, approved by the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund (NDF), during an event in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi EXIM Launches New Strategy to Reach Global Markets

EXIM announced the 2022 - 2026 strategy, approved by the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund (NDF), during an event in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
EXIM announced the 2022 - 2026 strategy, approved by the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund (NDF), during an event in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Export-Import Bank (EXIM) launched a new strategy to facilitate national non-oil exports to reach global markets for the next five years.

The strategy enables Saudi non-oil exports to reach global markets by closing financing gaps and reducing export risks.

It focuses on maximizing the economic impact of the Bank's activities, improving customer experience, ensuring financial sustainability and operational efficiency, attracting and developing talent, and making the most of the available technologies.

EXIM announced the 2022 - 2026 strategy that was approved by the Board of Directors of the National Development Fund (NDF) during a meeting that included Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef and EXIM CEO Saad Alkhalb.

Alkhorayef stressed that the importance of the new strategy lies in directing the Bank's efforts to serve the goals and interests of national strategies to help achieve Vision 2030.

It also facilitates efforts to serve local exporters in cooperation with the relevant authorities within the systems of enabling exports, industry, and mining.

The Minister stated that the Bank is contributing to reaching the Vision's goals of increasing non-oil exports to 50 percent of non-oil domestic product.

The Bank, he continued, is the official export credit and guarantee agency that provides solutions and facilities credit to exporters and their clients.

He stressed the commitment of the Bank to supporting the relevant national strategies and combining its efforts with the relevant authorities to achieve the national goals.

For his part, Alkhalb explained that the EXIM aims to maximize the development impact of its activities on the national economy and on Saudi non-oil exports in particular.

He said the plans allow the private financial sector to contribute in developing the Kingdom's non-oil exports through various credit solutions in terms of financing and insurance.

Alkhalb also added that the initiatives ensure effective partnerships with local, regional, and global agencies and provide opportunities for vital sectors to provide competitive non-oil products and services.

It increases the contribution of the sector's exports to the GDP and boosts the country's position in global trade, Alkhalb remarked.

EXIM provided over $1.5 billion in credits to empower Saudi exporters to boost their role in supporting the goals of Vision 2030 and boost its aspirations to increase the effectiveness of the alternative economy and raise the share of Saudi non-oil exports in the total non-oil GDP.

The Bank also signed five memoranda of understanding that support the its drive to seize more opportunities to empower Saudi exporters, expand the scope of its partnerships, and open new investment horizons for various sectors through cooperation with local, regional, and international finance and credit institutions.



Saudi Arabia to Host Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia to Host Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will host the Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum (MIPF) in October, underscoring the Kingdom's significant industrial transformation, in line with Vision 2030, and aiming to expand the Saudi industrial base and solidify its position as a leading global industrial center.
Organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in Riyadh, the forum is yet another substantial industrial development initiative the Kingdom relentlessly takes.
By carrying out programs focused on innovation, diversification, and boosting of the industrial sectors, including 12 strategic sectors identified in the National Industrial Strategy, Saudi Arabia seeks to raise competitiveness and support its national economy.
Beyond the National Industrial Strategy, the Kingdom has invested in developing industrial infrastructure, such as industrial cities and special economic zones, and fostered international cooperation to facilitate transfer of knowledge and technology. The forum, in which global experts and decision makers participate, is an ideal platform to exchange expertise and set best practices in industrial policies.
Saudi Arabia aims to develop policies that are in line with international standards, thus increasing the global competitiveness of its industrial sector. By leading initiatives for sustainable industrial practices, promoting international cooperation, exchanging expertise, and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the Kingdom seeks to enhance the flexibility of its supply chains, in line with the Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative.
The industrial sector in Saudi Arabia witnessed significant developments in 2023, including announcing major investment opportunities in targeted sectors, issuing a license for the first Saudi-made electric car brand "Ceer", and opening the first electric vehicle manufacturing factory "Lucid". The Kingdom aims to produce over 300,000 cars annually by 2030.
Attracting private sector investments is crucial to achieving the goals of the National Industrial Strategy. The industrial sector focuses on enhancing integration among various sectors and their supply chains, developing infrastructure, encouraging joint investments, promoting local content, and empowering national companies through policies, financing, and training.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources launched the Future Factories Program, which aims to transform 4,000 factories from labor-intensive models to efficient, automated operations utilizing advanced industrial solutions. This initiative seeks to enhance competitiveness, improve product quality, and increase exports of Saudi non-oil products.
The ministry has also made strides in improving the regulatory and legislative environment for the industrial sector, creating an environment conducive to investments and fair competition.
The ministry's goals for 2024 and 2025 include attracting investments in targeted industrial sectors, reaching a total investment volume of SAR451 billion, adding 1,500 products to the mandatory local content list, increasing the industrial sector's contribution to non-oil GDP to SAR412 billion, and boosting non-oil exports to over SAR300 billion. Moreover, the ministry aims to launch the industrial sector governance initiative to stimulate integration and concerted efforts among relevant stakeholders.
The second edition of the Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum, hosted by Riyadh under the theme "Transforming Challenges into Sustainable Solutions through Industrial Policies", will bring together some 3,000 industry leaders from around the world, including decision makers, CEOs, industry specialists, and people interested in developing industrial policies.