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Saudi Arabia: Contracting with Foreign Companies Now Tied to Regional Headquarters

Saudi Arabia intends to stop contracting any foreign company or commercial institution headquartered outside the Kingdom. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia intends to stop contracting any foreign company or commercial institution headquartered outside the Kingdom. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia: Contracting with Foreign Companies Now Tied to Regional Headquarters

Saudi Arabia intends to stop contracting any foreign company or commercial institution headquartered outside the Kingdom. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia intends to stop contracting any foreign company or commercial institution headquartered outside the Kingdom. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is holding on to its decision that foreign companies will be required to base their regional headquarters in the Kingdom, which enters into effect on January 1, 2024.

The government issued more than 180 licenses to international companies to move their regional headquarters after it announced the decision to stop contracting with entities that do not adhere to the state's direction at the beginning of 2024.

Last week, the Saudi cabinet approved contracting regulations for firms that do not have regional headquarters in the Kingdom.

Experts believe the government granted foreign companies a long and sufficient period to prepare their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia and not risk losing hundreds of billions of dollars in lucrative government contracts.

Specialists confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that companies that announced the transfer of their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia will benefit from competition for business and government procurement.

Economics Professor at the University of Jeddah Salem Baajaja explained that the Kingdom's decision to stop contracting with foreign companies or institutions that do not have a regional headquarters in the country limits economic leakage and generates more jobs for citizens.

Baajaja stated that the government has given companies a sufficient period to move their regional headquarters, and now it is time to stop contracting with parties that do not adhere to this decision.

Economic expert Ahmed al-Jubeir told Asharq Al-Awsat that with the decision entering into force, dealing with entities that do not implement the Kingdom's directives will be prohibited.

Jubeir added that this approach confirms the government's intention to generate more jobs and ensure efficient spending.

Halting contracts

The decision came a few days before the government's deadline so that foreign companies and institutions could move their regional headquarters to the Kingdom and avoid the risk of losing contracts with public agencies in the future.

The controls aim to regulate the contracting of government agencies with companies that do not have a regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia or with any relevant party.

The following business and procurement controls are excluded, and the estimated cost shall not exceed $266,000. Under public interest requirements, the Minister can amend this amount, cancel this exception, or temporarily suspend it.

The Ministry of Investment, in coordination with the Ministry and the General Authority for Foreign Trade, has prepared a list of companies that have no regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia and periodically updates it or whenever needed. The list has been published on the e-portal.

The controls stated that government agencies should not invite companies with no regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia or any relevant party to participate in their limited competitions except in some instances.

Government agencies will only invite companies with regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia or any relevant party to participate in their limited competitions in one of the following cases:

- The conditions require up to one qualified competitor other than companies with no regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia or relevant parties to carry out the business or secure the required purchases.

- The existence of an emergency can only be dealt with by inviting companies that do not have a regional headquarters in the Kingdom or relevant parties.

According to the controls, government agencies that contract with any company and related parties not headquartered in the Kingdom must prepare a report that includes the reasons for the contract.

They must also provide the General Auditing Bureau and the Governmental Spending and Projects Efficiency Authority with a copy of the report within 30 working days of signing the contract.

Under the regulations, the Ministry of Investment will establish a committee for "the exception of government agencies' contracting controls with companies and related parties not headquartered in Saudi Arabia."

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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.