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Why Did 630 Int’l Companies Choose Saudi Arabia as Regional Headquarters?

An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (AFP)
An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (AFP)
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Why Did 630 Int’l Companies Choose Saudi Arabia as Regional Headquarters?

An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (AFP)
An aerial view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh (AFP)

While Saudi Arabia is preparing to host 450 new regional headquarters for a number of international companies, in addition to issuing 180 licenses, Asharq Al-Awsat interviewed experts about the factors that attract companies to the Kingdom.

Saudi Minister of Investment Eng. Khaled Al-Falih has recently announced an agreement to grant 450 foreign investors licenses to establish their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, mainly in Riyadh.

Giant projects

Experts confirmed that the Kingdom offers giant investment opportunities and projects that are attractive to international companies, in addition to the country’s strategic location that connects three continents and allows reaching 40 rapidly growing markets within four hours by plane.

Experts say the Kingdom is the ideal place for multinational companies to establish their regional headquarters. The country is witnessing economic transformations and has an attractive investment environment, as the government has worked on regulatory and legislative reforms that facilitate the process of foreign companies accessing the Saudi market.

Geographical location

The head of the Saudi Governance Center, Nasser Al-Sahli, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia was the largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa, and occupied the 18th place among the largest economies in the world, in addition to its distinguished geographical location that makes it the focus of attention of major international companies.

Al-Sahli stated that Saudi Arabia was currently working on several giant projects, in addition to having all the capabilities and incentives that attract the private sector.

In return, many foreign firms are looking for opportunities to expand their business and access these projects, he remarked, noting that not having a regional office in the Kingdom will deprive them of these promising opportunities.

For his part, economic expert Ahmed Al-Shehri told Asharq Al-Awsat that international companies are choosing Saudi Arabia as the headquarters for their regional offices, based on the country’s economic prosperity and tangible progress in all international indicators.

He added that the government has implemented legislative and regulatory amendments, in addition to providing incentives to facilitate entry procedures for foreign companies.

Al-Shehri stated that Saudi Arabia currently represents an attractive investment destination due to its geographical location that connects three continents, making it an ideal place for multinational companies to establish their regional offices.

In February 2021, Saudi Arabia announced plans to cease contracting with companies whose regional headquarters are not in the Kingdom by Jan. 1, 2024, to help create local jobs, boost investment, and ensure economic diversification within Vision 2030 and the strategic plan for Riyadh.

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Trump Lifts Some Canada Tariffs Ahead of Midterms

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Trump Lifts Some Canada Tariffs Ahead of Midterms

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump's administration lifted some tariffs on Canadian imports Friday, two weeks ahead of midterm elections, after a vulnerable Republican candidate said she'd lobbied for the change.

The easing of tariffs will apply to products including "plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment," the White House said in a statement.

The change could help Senator Susan Collins, who faces a strong challenge from a Democrat in the US-Canada border state of Maine, which has been hit hard by Trump's trade war.

She posted on social media that she had "secured" the exemptions for "products crucial to Maine's agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple, and seaweed producers."

Democrats are targeting Collins's seat in their attempt to win control of Congress from the Republicans in the November 3 midterms.

The economies of the United States and Canada are heavily inter-connected, with roughly 70 percent of all Canadian exports heading to the United States.

Tensions between the North American neighbors have been high since trade talks broke down in August, with Trump imposing a slew of new tariffs in response.

Friday's action lifts tariffs on certain goods, but imposes levies on new ones, including carpets, certain valves and waste products, the White House said. The new measures will take effect on October 30.

"The Canadian government takes note of these recent tariff measures adopted by the United States," Dominic LeBlanc, Ottawa's minister in charge of US-Canada trade, said in a statement to AFP.

"While evaluating these recent measures, Canada remains ready to work together in a constructive and good-faith manner" with the US, he added.

Collins said many farmers in her state "rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense."

Previous Trump levies on autos, steel, aluminum and lumber have hit Canada hard, forcing job losses and stunting growth. Canada has entered a technical recession this year after two consecutive quarters of economic contraction.

Trump's tariffs enforced after the talks broke down impacted around $20 billion worth of goods, or 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States, targeting products ranging from hockey sticks to cement.

Since taking power in his second term, Trump has upended the global trade order by imposing wide-ranging tariffs on friend and foe alike, saying that other countries have been taking advantage of the United States.

He has also explicitly tied some threatened tariffs to political or foreign policy objectives.

Business

Saudi Arabia Ranks First in GCC, 12th Globally in 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia Ranks First in GCC, 12th Globally in 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index

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

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked first among GCC states and 12th globally out of 55 pension systems in the 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index. The Kingdom's overall score climbed to 73.2 out of 100, up from 67.6 in 2025, continuing an upward trajectory that has seen it advance 15 places since 2022.

The Kingdom achieved notable gains across the index's three primary pillars. In the Integrity sub-index—which evaluates regulatory governance, member communication, and participant rights—Saudi Arabia scored 83.5, up 9.3 points from the previous year, securing an A rating, the highest classification in the category.

The Kingdom's Sustainability score increased to 61.2 points from 54.6, while Adequacy rose to 77.2 from 75, maintaining an overall B grade, SPA reported.

With its 73.2 score, Saudi Arabia outperformed established international pension systems categorized within the B band, including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, and Hong Kong, while leading all participating Gulf nations.

The index noted that Saudi Arabia's advancement was driven by sustained governance reforms, regulatory enhancements, data modernization, and stronger safeguards for scheme beneficiaries.

These results reflect ongoing modernization within the national social insurance ecosystem led by the Social Insurance, aimed at expanding benefit adequacy and safeguarding long-term fiscal sustainability.

Published in collaboration with the Monash Centre for Financial Studies, the 18th edition of the Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index evaluates retirement systems covering two-thirds of the world's population across more than 50 sub-indicators.

Business

China’s January-September Fiscal Revenue up 5.1% y/y

People look at their phones in a touristic area in Beijing, China, 22 October 2026. (EPA)
People look at their phones in a touristic area in Beijing, China, 22 October 2026. (EPA)
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China’s January-September Fiscal Revenue up 5.1% y/y

People look at their phones in a touristic area in Beijing, China, 22 October 2026. (EPA)
People look at their phones in a touristic area in Beijing, China, 22 October 2026. (EPA)

China's fiscal revenue increased 5.1% in the first nine months of 2026 from a year earlier, following a gain of 5.7% in the January-August period, the finance ministry said on Friday.

In the January-September period, fiscal revenue totaled 17.2 trillion yuan ($2.58 trillion), with tax revenue growing 6.1% year-on-year and non-tax ‌revenue expanding ‌1.2%.

Fiscal expenditure was up ‌1.0% ⁠on the year ⁠in the period, slowing from a rise of 1.2% in the first eight months.

China has accelerated local special bond issuance this year and plans to front-load part of its 2027 ⁠quota, finance ministry official Zhao Zeyong ‌told a press ‌conference on Friday.

Net special bond issuance ‌from January to September reached 3.56 trillion ‌yuan, accounting for 81% of the annual quota, and issuance for September was at 633.5 billion yuan, up by 214.8 billion yuan ‌from the same month last year, Zhao said.

Revenue from ⁠government ⁠land sales fell 27.9% on the year for the period from January to September, narrowing from a fall of 28.6% in the first eight months of this year.

The property sector downturn that began in mid-2021 has eroded land-sale revenue, long a crucial funding source for Chinese local governments.