Saudi Relations with Friendly Countries

Abdullah Al Alami

July 8 2025

Today, I write about the development of Saudi relations with friendly countries, specifically Kuwait, Korea, and Russia.

The Kuwaiti government's announcement on the entry into a double taxation avoidance agreement with Saudi Arabia is encouraging, particularly in developing their economic relationship. The deal is not limited to current taxes, but extends to any tax imposed by both countries after signing the agreement. It also covers income from real estate, business profits, maritime, air, and land transportation, joint ventures, dividends, income from technical services, capital gains, and independent and non-independent personal services. It also covers board members' fees, artists' and athletes' fees, pensions, and government services, but excludes teachers, students, and researchers.

Saudi Arabia has also launched several projects with Korea to expand economic cooperation, including technology companies, and support Korean startups and small companies in the Saudi market in four key areas, most notably artificial intelligence. There are also serious efforts in information technology, digital infrastructure, electric vehicles, defense, and renewable energy. South Korea and Saudi Arabia jointly hosted a business forum in Seoul to work together in advanced industries. Twenty major Saudi companies participated, including STC Group, the Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company, and Seer, the first Saudi electric vehicle manufacturer. From Seoul, 100 companies participated in cooperation with Saudi companies.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia include strengthening bilateral ties and exploring mutual opportunities in the mining, petrochemical, automotive, aviation, energy, defense, and technology sectors. It should be added that the volume of non-oil trade between the two countries increased from SR1.84 billion in 2016 to SR12.3 billion in 2024. Riyadh also seeks to attract Russian investments to the Kingdom to establish petrochemical and geological survey companies and to benefit from technical expertise. Perhaps the recent visit of Saudi officials to Russia is an important step toward strengthening the strategic economic partnership between the two countries, expanding the horizons of bilateral cooperation in the promising cultural and tourism sectors, and reaching consensus on political issues, especially since the Soviet Union was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The final word: Best wishes to Saudi Arabia, which is leading the list of countries to host the 2029 Club World Cup, amid fierce competition for the tournament with five major countries, all of which deserve encouragement and victory.

The Israeli Iranian War, No Winner or Loser

Abdullah Al Alami

June 24, 2025

 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently discussed with Gulf states leaders the repercussions of the Israeli attack on Iran. This is the true meaning of GCC solidarity, especially under current circumstances in the region. Riyadh's efforts to achieve peace did not stop there; MBS also discussed regional developments, including Israeli military operations against Iran, with US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The positions of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are clear; Saudi Arabia expressed its strong condemnation of the blatant Israeli attacks against Tehran, which undermine its sovereignty and security, describing these attacks as "a clear violation of international laws." Saudi Arabia also firmly emphasized that the international community and the Security Council bear a major responsibility to halt the Israeli aggression. Saudi Arabia's renewed call to mobilize the world’s efforts to reach a comprehensive solution to this dangerous development is not merely a media stunt, but rather aims to protect the region and its people from these successive conflicts.

Furthermore, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that the US strikes on Iran could have broader repercussions beyond the energy sector. Also, Asia has begun accelerating its imports of Middle East oil after spot premiums jumped amid rising tensions in the region, and there’s a possibility that Tehran may disrupt the Strait of Hormuz.

Final words: Despite the peace agreements Tel Aviv has concluded with Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan, it is clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu does not seem to be truly serious about working to achieve security, peace, and stability in the Middle East.

The State of the Saudi economy

This is the latest edition of the monthly Chartbook from Jadwa Investment, which we hope provides you with a useful update on the state of the Saudi economy.

Key observations from the report are as follows:

• Global Economy: May PMI data for China indicates manufacturing sector weakness. The services sector may be faring better, but construction remains under pressure. Meanwhile in the US, bond yields have drifted up amid fiscal concerns as the Trump administration pursues an expansionary budget. The US dollar drifted lower amid negative sentiment.
• Saudi Real Economy: The May non-oil PMI edged up from April, due to increased new orders reflecting solid demand, while the survey indicated further growth in employment. Domestic cement sales rose by 43 percent year-on-year in April, and by 21 percent month-on-month, likely driven by seasonal trends. Meanwhile, latest available data show non-oil exports increased by 10.7 percent year-on-year in March.
• Consumer Spending: Total consumer spending saw a marginal rise in April, up by 0.7 percent year-on-year, but declined by 23 percent month-on-month, primarily due to seasonal trends. The annual growth was largely driven by a 57 percent increase in e-commerce transactions, while both POS transactions and cash withdrawals declined.
• SAMA Foreign Reserve Assets: SAMA’s FX reserves declined in April, down by almost $15 billion, to reach $439.3 billion. The monthly decrease primarily resulted from a decline in bank deposits, down by $18 billion, while foreign securities increased by $2.7 billion.
• Money Supply and Bank Deposits: The broad measure of money supply (M3) increased by 9.3 percent year-on-year, with a marginal decline by 0.1 percent month-on-month in April. Total deposits grew by 9.5 percent year-on-year, with both government and private deposits rising by 9 and 10 percent year-on-year, respectively.
• Bank Credit: Credit growth accelerated to 16.5 percent year-on-year in April, continuing to outpace deposit growth. Credit to the private sector maintained its upward trajectory, rising by 15 percent year-on-year, the highest annual rise since August 2022.
• Inflation: Consumer prices in April rose by 2.3 percent year-on-year and 0.3 percent month-on-month. ‘Food and beverages’ recorded a 2.2 percent increase, led by higher prices in ‘vegetables’ at 9.4 percent. Inflation in ‘Housing and utilities’ inched down, with prices up by 6.8 percent.
• Oil-Global: Brent crude traded close to $65pb in May, with some volatility related to OPEC+ production plans for July. Demand has been supported by pauses to some of the Liberation Day tariffs. Demand for transportation fuels, notably for aviation, has been robust. However, the weak May China PMI data and continued tariff risks remain a concern, especially as supply increases more in H2-25.
• Oil-Saudi Arabia: In Q1-25 crude and refined product export revenue fell by 8.5 percent year-on-year, broadly in line with lower prices. Oil export revenue will be lower in Q2 as lower prices outweigh higher export volumes.
• Stock Market: TASI dropped under 11,000 in the last week of May, down 6 percent from 11,672 at end-April. The main macro factor driving investor caution seems to be the subdued oil price and the potential for that to drag on economic activity.

Kind regards,

Jadwa Investment
Research Department

Work:   +966 11 279 1111 Ext. 4475
Email:   insights@jadwa.com

Saudi Vision Annual Report 2024

According to the Vision 2030 Annual Report 2024, Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in its Vision 2030 initiative, achieving and surpassing numerous targets ahead of schedule. Gulf Business

April 27, 2025

·       Vision 2030 aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors.

·       The initiative is structured into three five-year phases, each building upon the previous successes.​

·       As of the end of 2024, 85 per cent of the 1,502 active initiatives under Vision 2030 are either completed or on track, with 674 completed and 596 progressing as planned.

·       Additionally, 93 per cent of national programmes and strategy indicators have met, exceeded, or are close to meeting their 2024 interim targets.

·       Eight Vision 2030 targets have been achieved six years ahead of schedule, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

·       In the tourism sector, the kingdom welcomed over 100 million tourists, surpassing its 2030 target seven years early.

·       The introduction of e-visa programmes, now available to 66 countries, has enhanced accessibility for international visitors. ​

·       Cultural advancements include the registration of eight Saudi sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the inscription of 16 cultural elements on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

·       The kingdom also launched its first specialized college of arts at King Saud University.​

·       Economic diversification efforts have led to the Public Investment Fund’s assets under management exceeding SAR3.53tn, more than triple since Vision 2030’s launch.

·       The private sector’s contribution to GDP reached 47 per cent, surpassing the 2024 target. Employment in small and medium-sized enterprises reached 7.86 million, exceeding expectations.​

·       Social reforms have seen women’s labor force participation rise to 36 per cent by the end of 2024, a significant increase from 17 per cent in 2017.

·       The percentage of Saudi women in middle and senior management positions reached 43.8 per cent.

·       The kingdom also achieved its 7 per cent unemployment target.​

·       Healthcare coverage expanded to 96.4 per cent of population centers, moving closer to the 2030 goal of 99.5 per cent. The average life expectancy increased to 78.8 years, nearing the 2030 target of 80 years. Homeownership among Saudi households reached 65.4 per cent, surpassing the 2025 target.​

·       Environmental initiatives under the “sustainable vision” axis include the planting of over 115 million trees and the rehabilitation of more than 118,000 hectares of degraded land.

·       The kingdom also launched its first hydrogen-powered bus and taxi, and established the world’s first solar-powered desalination plant.​

·       In the realm of digital transformation, Saudi Arabia ranks first in the internet users index and second globally in both the digital transformation index for companies and the technology development and application index.

·       The digital transformation of the judicial system saw 98 per cent of litigation sessions conducted electronically, totaling over 2.3 million sessions.​

·       Major projects contributing to these achievements include the Red Sea Project, which has opened several luxury resorts and aims to attract one million visitors annually by 2030.

·       The Sindalah luxury island destination in NEOM was inaugurated in October 2024, and the Soudah Peaks project aims to develop a mountain tourism destination in ‘Asir Province.

Saudi Arabia confirms $500 million commitment to polio eradication effort, WHO says

Reuters
February 24, 2025

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the World Health Organization said on Monday.

The funds, initially pledged in April 2024, will be disbursed to help end the wild form of polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan and stop outbreaks of variant polio.

Wild polio — a naturally occurring form of the viral disease — is endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which together reported 99 cases last year, according to the WHO. Variant polio is caused by the weakening of the oral polio vaccine.

The GPEI hopes to declare an end to the wild virus and the vaccine-derived variant by 2027 and 2029, respectively, compared with a previous deadline of 2026 for both forms.

The U.S., which has announced its intention to withdraw from the WHO, was previously a major donor to a program to eliminate polio and contributed 17% of its budget during 2024-2025, the WHO data showed.

Tribute to the Bahraini Farmers

Abdullah Al Alami*

7 December 2024

 

The 12th edition of the Bahraini Farmers Market kicks off today, December 7, in partnership with the National Initiative for Agricultural Development. It is truly a great opportunity to appreciate the efforts of farmers and local plant merchants. This is an occasion for Bahrain to once again celebrate achieving a qualitative leap in the 2024 competitiveness ranking issued by the World Competitiveness Center, advancing 9 places since its inclusion in 2022, to occupy the 21st place globally in 2024.

This is also a “fruitful” occasion as the Kingdom ranked first globally in sub-indicators and among the top ten in other sub-indicators for building an economy that attracts investments. Thus, Manama created a stimulating economic environment with competitive advantages for business owners through effective partnerships and by adopting international best practices. That’s not all, Bahrain also ranked eighth globally in the government policies index to adapt to new changes.

This year, 33 local farmers, 20 shops, 64 productive families, agricultural companies, nurseries, craftsmen, and educational activities participated in the show. Fruit trees were planted during the launch of the “Qarm Bahrain” initiative, and a marketing platform was provided that facilitates farmers’ access to thousands of citizens and residents. Here, the citizens proved how to adapt to challenges, as Bahrain ranked ninth in the labor force productivity index.

My final words, despite the fluctuations of oil prices and international political pressure on regional and global growth, the Bahraini citizen has succeeded in adapting to current changes and strengthening his commitment to environmental sustainability through positive interaction with the national action plan to achieve carbon neutrality and the successful partnership between the public and private sectors in driving agricultural development.

 

*Saudi writer and president of the Arab Society for Human Resources Management  

      

@AbdullaAlami1

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