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Saudi Arabia implements over 800 reforms to drive rapid transformation

Al Mubarak highlighted key reforms enhancing Saudi Arabia's investment environment, including the Civil Transactions Law, Bankruptcy Law, and Public-Private Partnership Program.

[Source photo: Krishna Prasad/Fast Company Middle East]

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by over 800 reforms across various sectors. Eng. Ibrahim Al Mubarak, Assistant Minister of Investment and CEO of the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA), highlighted these significant strides during the 2025 Budget Forum.

Al Mubarak emphasized the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance its investment environment, including the introduction of pivotal laws such as the Civil Transactions Law, Bankruptcy Law, Public-Private Partnership Program, and the Government Tenders and Procurement Law.

These reforms have helped propel Saudi Arabia to 16th place on the IMD World Competitiveness Index.

Al Mubarak reaffirmed SIPA’s commitment to driving reforms, fostering a business-friendly ecosystem, and cultivating local talent to establish Saudi Arabia as a premier investment destination.

A key topic at the forum was the introduction of a new Investment Law, set to take effect early next year. The law focuses on principles such as the rule of law, fair transactions, property rights, investment freedom, and intellectual property protection.

Saudi Arabia has achieved significant milestones in foreign direct investment (FDI), surpassing the National Investment Strategy’s 2023 target by 16%.

The kingdom now ranks second among G20 nations for net FDI growth and fourth globally for FDI stock growth, which rose by 13% to nearly $239.6 billion in 2023.

Foreign investors’ participation in Saudi financial markets exceeded $93.1 billion, reflecting the kingdom’s growing appeal.

Also, over 500 foreign companies have established their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, surpassing the 2023 target set by the Regional Headquarters Program.

Since the launch of Vision 2030, the kingdom has issued over 37,000 investment licenses—a tenfold increase.