Saudi FDI Inflows Grow by 10.7% in 3rd Quarter 2022

Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi FDI Inflows Grow by 10.7% in 3rd Quarter 2022

Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Ministry of Investment said on Tuesday that the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Saudi Arabia rose 10.7% in the third quarter of 2022 over the same period a year earlier.

FDI inflows amounted to 7.2 billion riyals ($1.9 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, according to the Investment ministry’s latest monthly bulletin, compared to 6.5 billion riyals in the third quarter of 2021.

This announcement comes as Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023), which is organized by the Financial Sector Development Program partners (Ministry of Finance, Saudi Central Bank, and Capital Market Authority).

The event, which will be held on March 15-16 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, will be attended by decision-makers in the financial sector and senior executives in local, regional, and international financial institutions, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and prominent academics.

Minister of Finance, Chairman of the Financial Sector Development Program Committee, Mohammad Al-Jadaan, told SPA that the second edition of the FSC comes at an important stage in the world, amid efforts to overcome the challenges in the global economy.

He added that Saudi Arabia sought to speed up the implementation of comprehensive structural reforms, including reforms in the financial sector, through strategies, programs and projects that promote sustainable economic growth and raise the quality of life, in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

According to a press release, the FSC 2023 agenda includes a discussion of the key topics on the aspirations and concerns of the financial community. Participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the global economy, supply chain constraints, a changing world order, the protracted pandemic, and other factors causing slow growth in many regions worldwide that affect the financial sector and its ecosystem.



IMF Team Makes First Syria Visit Since 2009

Syrians attend Eid al-Adha prayers in the courtyard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Damascus, Syria, 06 June 2025. (EPA)
Syrians attend Eid al-Adha prayers in the courtyard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Damascus, Syria, 06 June 2025. (EPA)
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IMF Team Makes First Syria Visit Since 2009

Syrians attend Eid al-Adha prayers in the courtyard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Damascus, Syria, 06 June 2025. (EPA)
Syrians attend Eid al-Adha prayers in the courtyard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Damascus, Syria, 06 June 2025. (EPA)

An IMF team visited Syria for the first time since 2009 to take part in efforts to rebuild the economy after years of civil war and the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the lender said Tuesday.

The International Monetary Fund's trip to Damascus took place from June 1 to June 5, and its team sought to discuss authorities' priorities and how to help achieve them.

Syria's economy and the country are a wreck after 14 years of war under Assad, who was ousted in December.

"Syria faces enormous challenges following years of conflict that caused immense human suffering and reduced its economy to a fraction of its former size," said Ron van Rooden, who led the visit.

Around six million people have fled the country while another seven million have been displaced internally, he noted.

"Output has plummeted, real incomes have fallen sharply, and poverty rates are high," he said, adding that state institutions have also been weakened with much infrastructure destroyed.

"There is great urgency to address these challenges and achieve a sustainable economic recovery," van Rooden said in a statement at the end of the mission.

Much of Syria's infrastructure has been destroyed by the war, which began with a bloody crackdown on peaceful anti-regime protests.

Longtime strongman Assad was ousted in a lightning offensive by opposition factions in December, and Syria's new government has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties, including with international financial institutions.

Last month, the IMF said it had held useful discussions with Syria's economic team.

The Fund's last comprehensive review of the health of the Syrian economy was done in 2009, before the outbreak of the war in 2011.

In April, Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced that they would settle Syria's debt to the World Bank totaling about $15 million.

The World Bank suspended operations in Syria when the war began. The settlement of its arrears will allow it to resume accessing the bank's financial support and technical advice.