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The decision to merge the “General Authority for Foreign Trade” and the “Saudi Export Development Authority” into a unified entity under the name “The General Authority for Foreign Trade and Export” represents an organizational step aimed at enhancing institutional integration and unifying efforts aimed at supporting national exports and expanding the presence of Saudi products in global markets.

The Council of Ministers, headed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, agreed to merge the two bodies, directing the preparation of what is necessary for this process, and removing what requires taking regular action within 180 days. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, will be Chairman of the Board of Directors of the new authority, and the Minister of Commerce will be Vice-Chairman.

This trend comes in light of the growing importance of foreign trade as a tributary to economic growth and a tool for enhancing the competitiveness of Saudi products and opening new horizons for national enterprises to reach broader international markets.

It is expected that unifying specialties and coordinating initiatives will contribute to raising work efficiency, enhancing access to foreign markets, and developing tools to support exporters, in line with the goals of diversifying the national economy and increasing the contribution of non-oil exports to economic growth. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, specialists said that with the completion of the integration requirements within 180 days, attention will turn to the new authority’s work mechanisms and performance indicators, and the extent of its ability to transform regulatory integration into broader export opportunities and sustainable gains for the Saudi economy, in addition to supporting the private sector through more opportunities available to national companies.

The advisor and professor of commercial law, Osama bin Ghanem Al-Obaidi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the next stage: After merging the “General Authority for Foreign Trade” and the “Saudi Export Development Authority” into one entity, “it requires focusing on small and medium enterprises, helping them overcome export challenges, and building sustainable international trade partnerships.”

The stage also requires “developing clear performance indicators that measure the growth of non-oil exports, and count the number of new markets that Saudi products reach, and the extent to which exporters benefit from the services provided.” According to Dr. Al-Obaidi.

He pointed out that the decision combines opening markets and enabling the Saudi product to access them, “in a step that enhances its competitiveness and shortens its journey to global markets,” and that the step “facilitates procedures and facilitates trade operations, by raising the level of integration between the two sides and developing a unified platform that saves time and cost for the beneficiaries, thus enhancing the Kingdom’s economic competitiveness and attracting more local and foreign investments.”

Dr. Al-Obaidi added: “In my estimation; The success of the new authority will be measured by the added value it achieves to the national economy, not merely by unifying the organizational structures. The more institutional integration is reflected in increasing export opportunities, enhancing the competitiveness of Saudi products, and diversifying sources of income, the closer this step will come to achieving its economic goals, which supports the goals of (Vision 2030) and enhances the Kingdom’s position in global trade.”

For her part, economic researcher and technical advisor, Fadwa Al-Bawardi, explained that the decision to merge the “General Authority for Foreign Trade” and the “Saudi Export Development Authority” into one entity represents a pivotal organizational transformation that embodies the national trend towards governance of the trade file and unifying efforts to activate integration between trade policies and export development.

According to Al-Bawardi, the strategic dimensions of this decision go beyond the scope of administrative restructuring. The new entity constitutes a vital bridge linking the opening of global markets and empowering the productive capabilities of Saudi contractors and companies.

She indicated, in her interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, that the investor is not content with searching for new sales outlets, but rather is looking forward to building a solid production base that stimulates exports, stressing that the real bet of the new entity lies in “overcoming logistical and regulatory obstacles, and raising the competitive efficiency of the Saudi product on the map of international trade.”

Al Bowardi added, “The competitive presence of Saudi goods and services in global markets is not based only on the quality element, but also requires an integrated support system that ensures facilitating access to markets, addressing conflicts and trade restrictions, and intensifying international promotion initiatives, which gives local exporters sufficient empowerment to compete with confidence and competence.”

The economic researcher also emphasized that the actual criterion for the success of this step lies in “the extent to which the new structure is able to translate institutional assembly into a tangible economic impact, measured by the extent of simplification of procedures, unification of service delivery platforms, and speed of response to the requirements of the business sector and national factories, as well as penetrating promising markets that enhance the presence of non-oil exports.”