The Riyadh region continues to consolidate its position as the main driver of investment activity in Saudi Arabia, accounting for more than 50 percent of the total investments in the Kingdom, in an indicator that reflects the economic weight of the region and its attractiveness to capital, supported by the expansion of investment opportunities and the diversity of economic sectors, in addition to the growing partnership between the government and private sectors in implementing development initiatives and projects.
During the reception of Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Riyadh Region, Minister of Investment Fahd bin Abdul Jalil Al-Saif, the minister pointed out that the capital is one of the largest investment centers in the Kingdom. “Its share exceeds more than 50 percent of the total investments,” stressing that the Emirate of the Riyadh region is a partner and supporter of many initiatives in the government and private sectors.
During the reception, the Emir of Riyadh was briefed on the efforts of the Ministry of Investment and its initiatives aimed at developing the investment sector in the region, enhancing its investment attractiveness, and investing in its abundant economic opportunities and components.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar stressed that the support and interest that the region enjoys from the government in the investment sector enhances the continued development of the investment environment and raises the level of its attractiveness and competitiveness, which contributes to maximizing the benefit from economic and investment opportunities and components, and supporting the process of sustainable development. In order to achieve the goals of “Vision 2030”.
The Kingdom recorded a 33.5 percent growth in foreign direct investment flows during the past year, reaching about 159 billion riyals, compared to 2024, an achievement that reflects the Kingdom’s growing attractiveness for foreign investments and the continued progress towards achieving the goals of “Vision 2030.”
As an extension of this growth, the balance of foreign direct investment in the Kingdom increased by 8.3 percent to reach 1,059 billion riyals by the end of 2025, exceeding the one trillion riyals barrier, reflecting the expansion of the foreign investment base in the Saudi economy.
The importance of these results becomes clear when compared to the levels of 2017. “Foreign direct investment flows” increased more than five-fold, while the “foreign direct investment stock” doubled during the same period, and the “compound annual growth rate of flows” reached 24 percent, compared to 10 percent for the “investment stock,” which embodies the scale of the transformation that the Kingdom has witnessed over the past years.
In light of the navigational disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz and the challenges it poses to trade movement and supply chains, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries signed, on Sunday, in Manama, the general agreement for the railway connection project, in a step aimed at establishing a common framework for implementing and operating the network, and enhancing the integration of transport systems between the six countries.
The agreement was signed under the patronage and presence of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and with the participation of the Ministers of Transport and Communications in the GCC countries, and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, to form an organizational basis for cooperation between the member states in implementing a network extending about 2,117 kilometers, linking Kuwait with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the Emirates, all the way to the Sultanate of Oman, with the goal of being fully operational by December 2030.
Al-Budaiwi announced that the completion rate of the Gulf Railway Project reached 55.9 percent, stressing that the agreement represents a common framework that regulates the obligations of member states to implement and operate the project in an integrated manner, and determines the work mechanisms and timetable for its completion.
It is estimated that the network will transport about 6 million passengers and 200 million tons of goods in 2030, with the number of passengers rising to more than 8 million and the volume of freight to 271 million tons by 2045. The speed of passenger trains reaches 200 kilometers per hour, while the speed of freight trains ranges between 80 and 120 kilometers per hour.
In Bahrain, the implementation of the project is linked to plans to connect with Saudi Arabia via the proposed King Hamad Bridge, which includes a railway track alongside the land road, allowing the international passenger station in Bahrain to be linked to the Saudi train network.
