Invest Saudi Platform

Invest Saudi is a website dedicated to showcasing investment opportunities and the business environment in Saudi Arabia. This unified national identity platform for marketing investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established under the Royal Decree issued in 2019. It was developed and launched as one of the initiatives to achieve Saudi Vision 2030. The platform aims to unify messages and efforts between ministries and government entities to enhance the Kingdom's position as an attractive investment destination.

Since its launch, the platform has presented numerous investment opportunities through its official website (investsaudi.sa), which has become one of the most prominent marketing channels of Invest Saudi identity to introduce the Kingdom's investment environment and competitive advantages, highlight promising investment opportunities in all sectors, and facilitate communication with investors locally and internationally.

Through its interactive engagement with investors and its continuous adaptation to developments in the investment landscape, the platform has successfully demonstrated its presence both locally and internationally through active participation in key conferences and events. Additionally, various media and marketing initiatives were launched under its umbrella.

Invest Saudi platform showcases investment opportunities in the Kingdom across all economic sectors, highlighting untapped potential and unique investment prospects. The Kingdom possesses exceptional resources and opportunities for investors and is a member of the G20. As part of Saudi Vision 2030, numerous economic reforms have successfully shaped new business opportunities, enhanced the Kingdom's key strategic assets, and propelled economic growth while diversifying it.

Invest Saudi platform promotes investment laws and policies in the Kingdom by informing investors about the investment environment. This includes ensuring equality between Saudi and non-Saudi investors and among non-Saudi investors themselves, protecting all investment assets in accordance with the Kingdom's regulations, promoting investment sustainability, and establishing clear and transparent procedures for handling investor complaints.

The policies also encompass providing investment incentives when needed with complete transparency. This includes establishing a list of investment incentives based on general, transparent, and non-discriminatory criteria. Policies also include maintaining environmental and social standards to ensure that Saudi and non-Saudi investors adhere to rules concerning work, health, safety, and environmental protection, facilitating procedures related to the entry, residence, and employment of non-Saudi technical and administrative staff and their families. Additionally, supporting the transfer and localization of sciences and technologies from foreign direct investment in accordance with the Kingdom's international commitments.

The platform provides access to investment opportunities in the Kingdom, encouraging investors to seize the available prospects. There are several reasons for investing, including the Kingdom's journey towards diversification and reform, exceptional opportunities, integrated infrastructure, a young and skilled workforce, enhanced quality of life, and a leading financial sector.

Invest Saudi platform presents numerous investment opportunities in various sectors, including chemicals, information and technology, energy and water, manufacturing and industry, healthcare and life sciences, mining and minerals, transportation and logistics services, tourism, culture and entertainment, real estate, and education.

The Kingdom's investment openness and engagement with investors have resulted in increased investment rates. During the Future Investment Initiative in 2019, twenty-three agreements were signed with a total value of $15 billion. These agreements encompassed various investment activities in strategic sectors, notably energy, water, pharmaceuticals, logistics services, petrochemicals, technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

With the evolution of investment operations aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and pursuing its targets, the National Committee for Unifying and Coordinating Efforts to Attract and Market Investments in the Kingdom held its first meetings in 2019. This was in implementation of the Royal Decree stipulating the formation of a committee within the Ministry of Investment, formerly known as the General Investment Authority. The committee works to clarify the roles and responsibilities of relevant entities by distributing tasks among them and developing a clear governance model.

In support of these investment efforts and to stimulate investment in the Kingdom, the Royal Decree approved the Invest Saudi platform, which the Ministry of Investment implements. It serves as a unified national investment identity for marketing and attracting investments in the Kingdom. Through this identity, the ministry continues collaborating with relevant government entities to use it in all activities related to attracting and marketing investment opportunities. It also works on developing relevant content and marketing messages according to the expertise of each entity.

Invest Saudi platform has played a significant role in driving investment in the Kingdom through its efforts in promoting investment opportunities in the country. This was revealed by the Ministry of Investment in the Investment Updates Report for the third quarter (Fall 2022), which highlighted the issuance of 1,163 investment licenses and the signing of fifty-three investment deals across various sectors during that quarter. The third quarter also witnessed a rapid recovery in the number of newly licensed foreign investment projects in the Kingdom compared to the second quarter.

The investment landscape in the Kingdom has witnessed significant developments and leaps forward, thanks to the efforts of the Invest Saudi platform as an open gateway to the opportunities available in the Kingdom. As a result, the number of foreign investment licenses in Saudi Arabia reached 928 licenses in the third quarter of 2022.

The Kingdom is still benefiting from its investments made through the Invest Saudi platform and related events. As a result, the inflow of foreign direct investment into the Kingdom increased to USD2.1 billion in the second quarter of 2022. Furthermore, the foreign direct investment growth rate to the Kingdom reached 257.2 percent in 2021 compared to 2020.

The development of the investment ecosystem and the facilitation of investment procedures have contributed to attracting more investors. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ownership of qualified foreign investors reached a record level during the third quarter of 2020, reaching $38 billion. This represents a 37 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019.

The latest investment opportunity on the Invest Saudi platform is the investment opportunity in al-Khomrah Logistics Zone in the transportation and logistics sector, with a value of up to $5.3 billion. It is a modern logistics zone that provides trade facilitation, a custom bonded area, and a re-export zone. The Zone is near the Red Sea coast, which is a significant gateway for global maritime trade, making it a key platform for trade between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The zone will also help reduce shipping costs, improve productivity, enhance reliability, and ensure adherence to shipping schedules.

The second emerging opportunity on the platform is the yellow and red brass factory in the mining and metals sector, with an investment value of up to USD120 million. It is planned that the mining sector will become the third largest pillar in the Saudi industrial base due to the Kingdom's abundant mineral deposits. The opportunity requires the establishment of a yellow and red brass factory with a production capacity of 45,000 metric tons in the Kingdom. The investment opportunity in this factory offers several advantages. The production of red and yellow brass products for non-electrical uses in the region is a crucial aspect. The payback period for the investment is estimated at 9.1 years. The project is eligible for financing of up to 75 percent from the Saudi Industrial Development Fund. Additionally, the Human Resources Development Fund covers 30 percent of the salaries of Saudi employees in the first year, 20 percent in the second year, and 10 percent in the third year.

The investment opportunities featured on the platform also include the reverse osmosis membrane function in the water desalination sector, with an investment value ranging from USD40-45 million dollars. Reverse osmosis membrane demand in the Gulf region is expected to grow by approximately 13 percent annually until 2025. This project requires the establishment of manufacturing facilities for reverse osmosis membranes to meet both local and regional demand. All the materials are available within the Kingdom except for chlorophenyl sulfone and polysulfone.