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France Expands Role in Saudi Water Infrastructure Projects

 Group photo after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Saudi and French companies (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
 Group photo after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Saudi and French companies (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
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France Expands Role in Saudi Water Infrastructure Projects

 Group photo after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Saudi and French companies (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
 Group photo after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Saudi and French companies (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

Saudi construction giant Nesma & Partners has signed a memorandum of understanding with France’s Saur Group, a global leader in sustainable water and wastewater management, to advance water infrastructure projects in the Kingdom.

The signing took place at the French Consulate in Jeddah, in the presence of the French Consul General.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly €17 billion in 2024. France is also Saudi Arabia’s second-largest foreign investor, with more than €2.8 billion in investments and over 160 French companies active in the local market.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Patrick Blethon, CEO of Saur Group, emphasized that innovative financing lies at the heart of the company’s global expansion strategy. He noted that Saur was the first to issue both green and blue bonds in the water sector and plans to launch a new issuance of blue bonds next year.

“These innovative financial tools allow us to invest globally in water and infrastructure projects,” he said. “Saudi Arabia will be a key beneficiary, given the scale of its strategic initiatives.”

Blue bonds, which fund sustainable water infrastructure, are seen as more cost-effective than traditional financing methods, offering stable returns with lower risk. They support projects such as desalination, wastewater treatment, and water recycling. Saur launched the world’s first blue bond, opening a new avenue for funding large-scale water projects aligned with Vision 2030.

Blethon identified water reuse as the biggest challenge ahead, citing projections of global water crises by 2050. He said Saur’s technologies can recycle up to 45 percent of residential water for non-drinking uses such as cleaning, irrigation, and sanitation.

The partnership with Nesma will cover the full water cycle - from treatment to reuse and distribution - in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company. Saur also plans to establish its regional headquarters in the Kingdom, using it as a hub to expand into the Gulf, Middle East, and Africa.

Samer Abdul Samad, CEO of Nesma & Partners, stressed that the deal comes at a critical time for Saudi Arabia’s water sector, which faces mounting pressures on natural resources and growing demand.

“This partnership translates into practical solutions that enhance national water security,” he said. Unlike previous localized projects, the new model is based on public-private partnerships (PPP), extending beyond construction to long-term operation and maintenance, ensuring sustainable outcomes.

Abdul Samad added that artificial intelligence and advanced technologies will underpin water management systems, enabling faster and more efficient responses to rising demand. With the Public Investment Fund now a shareholder in Nesma, the company is also exploring innovative financing tools for future mega-projects.

“Our ambition goes beyond Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We aim to export Saudi expertise and solutions to regional markets, positioning the Kingdom as a hub for water innovation.”

 

 

 

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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.