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Saudi Arabia Completes E-Link Procedures to Automate Business Acceleration

Riyadh's strategy aims to make the city capital one of the ten largest city economies in the world (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh's strategy aims to make the city capital one of the ten largest city economies in the world (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Completes E-Link Procedures to Automate Business Acceleration

Riyadh's strategy aims to make the city capital one of the ten largest city economies in the world (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh's strategy aims to make the city capital one of the ten largest city economies in the world (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) completed the electronic linking procedures with the Saudi Center for Economic Business through the Tanfeeth program to directly link the technical systems of government agencies and banks operating in the Kingdom and integrate them. This step would contribute to automating and accelerating business processing to achieve Vision 2030.

The Saudi Center for Economic Business is concerned with facilitating the procedures for launching and conducting businesses and providing all related services under international best practices.

SAMA stated that it aims, through Tanfeeth, to improve and develop joint business with government agencies, understand the needs of those agencies, and overcome obstacles and difficulties.

It seeks to achieve the objectives of the Central Bank, enhance the technical infrastructure, and increase the level of services aiming to reduce administrative procedures and improve their quality in integration with financial institutions operating in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Riyadh Municipality inaugurated Remat al-Riyadh Development Company, the strategic arm, to enable the private sector to implement and develop municipal projects.

The development arm will also help provide services to improve the quality of life and provide direct value to residents and visitors of the region.

Its activities will focus on three main sectors: urban development, asset management, and municipal services.

Remat al-Riyadh will contribute to empowering the strategic role of the Municipality by supporting its operations and enabling the private sector to implement and develop municipal projects.

The mayor and chairman of the Riyadh region, Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf, confirmed that the company would contribute to accelerating the developmental plans for the area and improving residents' lifestyles.

Given that Riyadh is deemed full of tremendous and promising opportunities, the firm will promote this growth by involving the private sector in the municipal sector, as it aspires to be one of the top development companies in the municipal sector.

He indicated that the company's activities are based on three main sectors: urban development, municipal asset management, and municipal services, to improve the quality of services and municipal projects, improve customer experience and achieve satisfaction.

Prince Faisal added that the company aims to boost the level of municipal services and contribute to creating a vibrant society that enables economic and social development for the Riyadh region.

Remat al-Riyadh CEO Abdullah Abu Daoud said that the company aspires to contribute to making Riyadh an ideal and successful model by developing and shaping the future of the municipal sector based on strategic priorities aimed at providing quality projects and services that contribute to the prosperity and improvement of the region and the progress of the area.

It also aims to improve quality of life, achieve financial sustainability, and develop attractive and innovative business models in partnership with the private sector.

During the past year, Saudi Arabia launched the Riyadh city strategy to make the capital one of the ten largest city economies in the world.

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Business

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.