Saudi Homeownership Rate Approaches 2030 Target

 A project of the Saudi Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
 A project of the Saudi Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Homeownership Rate Approaches 2030 Target

 A project of the Saudi Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
 A project of the Saudi Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is steadily progressing toward achieving its housing program targets under Vision 2030, with homeownership rates among Saudi families reaching 63.7% in the past year. This marks a significant step toward the program’s goal of 70% homeownership by the end of the decade.
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, more than 205,000 off-plan housing units were licensed and launched in 2024, with over 60,000 units delivered. Additionally, Sakani, the government’s housing initiative, made 165,000 plots of land available, allowing beneficiaries to build homes tailored to their future needs.
To support low-income families, the ministry provided over 50,000 housing units, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable social housing solutions. Efforts continue to diversify options and create integrated residential communities that meet citizens’ needs. The Real Estate Development Fund (REDF) deposited SAR 11.9 billion ($3.1 billion) into the accounts of Sakani beneficiaries last year. The program offers digital services that help recipients customize their housing support and select optimal financing solutions.
By the end of 2024, more than 122,000 families had benefited from Sakani’s housing support services. The “Your Installment is Your Support” program, which offers flexible payment options for off-plan and self-construction homes, recorded 2,700 beneficiaries. Additionally, 107,000 housing finance contracts were signed, demonstrating the continued growth of the sector. Financing solutions with a reduced interest margin of 2.59% were provided to over 22,000 Sakani beneficiaries in the low-income category. Meanwhile, nearly 962 beneficiaries received subsidized installment plans, and 59,000 low-income families secured government-supported mortgage loans. In total, Sakani provided approximately 70,000 financing packages for off-plan, ready-built, and self-construction homes.
In its latest quarterly report, Sakani outlined key initiatives aimed at enabling Saudi families to own their first home. The program continues to expand housing options and financial solutions to improve homeownership rates, enhance citizens’ quality of life, and align with Vision 2030 housing objectives. The report highlighted a variety of financial solutions used by families in late 2024, including off-plan units, self-construction, ready-built homes, and land support programs. By year-end, more than 107,000 financing contracts had been signed, with nearly 58,000 benefiting low-income families.
To cater to different financial needs, Sakani offers a range of customized financing solutions, including financial support packages, down payment assistance, in-kind support, reduced financing margins, affordable mortgage plans, flexible installment options, and mortgage guarantee programs.

 

 



China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
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China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

China on Wednesday listed more sectors eligible for foreign investment incentives, from tax breaks to preferential ​land use, in its latest effort to stem a prolonged decline in overseas capital inflows.

Under the 2025 edition of the catalogue of industries for encouraging foreign investment, China added more than 200 and revised about 300, with a ‌focus on ‌advanced manufacturing, modern services and ‌green ⁠and ​high-tech ‌sectors, the list jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the commerce ministry showed.

The new catalogue, which takes effect on February 1, 2026, replaces the 2022 version and continues a policy framework ⁠that offers foreign-invested enterprises tariff exemptions on imported equipment, preferential ‌land pricing, reduced corporate income ‍tax rates in ‍designated regions and tax credits for reinvestment ‍of profits.

The catalogue also extends incentives to central and western regions, as well as the northeast and Hainan, as Beijing seeks to attract ​more foreign investment into less developed areas.

China has in recent months ⁠taken a raft of measures to boost foreign investment, including pilot programs in Beijing, Shanghai and other regions to expand market access in services such as telecoms, healthcare and education, amid trade tensions with the United States.

Foreign direct investment in China totaled 693.2 billion yuan ($98.84 billion) from January to November this year, down 7.5% from the ‌same period last year, data from the commerce ministry showed.


Environment Ministry Launches Saudi Citrus Season with Production Exceeding 158,000 Tons

The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)
The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)
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Environment Ministry Launches Saudi Citrus Season with Production Exceeding 158,000 Tons

The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)
The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched on Wednesday the Kingdom’s citrus season in local markets as part of its efforts to support and develop the agricultural sector and enhance food security in the country, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.

The is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to support national agricultural products, raise awareness of citrus varieties and their nutritional benefits and production areas, and highlight their year-round diversity across production seasons.

These efforts help in improving marketing efficiency, boost competitiveness, and achieve rewarding economic returns.

Citrus fruits are among the most widely cultivated crops in the Kingdom. They are grown in several regions that produce a variety of citrus types, most notably lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, citron, and kumquats.

The ministry said lemon production leads Saudi citrus output, with total production exceeding 123,000 tons and more than 1.5 million fruit-bearing trees. Orange production follows, with total output reaching 35,700 tons and more than 397,000 fruit-bearing trees.

The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year, it added.

The ministry said the Saudi citrus season has been launched with a number of major retail markets across the Kingdom showcasing local products through innovative packaging and display methods. This boosts the quality and reliability of local products and increases consumer demand during production seasons.


SLB Awarded 5-Year Contract to Stimulate Unconventional Gas in Saudi Arabia

SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SLB Awarded 5-Year Contract to Stimulate Unconventional Gas in Saudi Arabia

SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Global technology company, SLB, has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The move is part of a broader multi-billion contract, supporting one of the largest unconventional gas development programs globally, it said.

The contract encompasses advanced stimulation, well intervention, frac automation, and digital solutions, which are important to unlocking the potential of Saudi Arabia’s unconventional gas resources - a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s strategy to diversify its energy portfolio and support the global energy transition.

“This agreement is an important step forward in Aramco’s efforts to diversify its energy portfolio in line with Vision 2030 and energy transition goals,” said Steve Gassen, SLB executive vice president.

“With world-class technology, deep local expertise, and a proven track record in safety and service quality, SLB is well positioned to deliver tailored solutions that could help redefine operational performance in the development of Saudi Arabia’s unconventional resources,” he added.

These solutions provide the tools to work toward new performance benchmarks in unconventional gas development.

SLB is a global technology company that drives energy innovation for a balanced planet.

With a global footprint in more than 100 countries and employees representing almost twice as many nationalities, it works on innovating oil and gas, delivering digital at scale, decarbonizing industries, and developing and scaling new energy systems that accelerate the energy transition.