According to official data, Saudi Arabia’s foreign direct investment net inflows stood at SR24.9 billion ($6.64 billion) in the third quarter of this year, 34.5 percent higher than in the third quarter of 2024.
In the same report by the General Authority for Statistics, net inflows also increased 5.2 percent in the third quarter compared with the last three months.
This growth is part of the wider push by Saudi Arabia in encouraging long-term foreign capital inflows as part of its Vision 2030 plan, which is meant to bring more diversification into the economy beyond oil revenues. The Kingdom is planning to attract $100 billion in FDI annually in 2030 under the program.
In its latest report, GASTAT stated that “The value of FDI inflows amounted to about SR27.7 billion during the third quarter of this year. It achieved an increase of 4.4 percent compared to the third quarter of 2024, which was approximately SR26.5 billion.”
Therefore, the report furthermore noted that the FDI inflows increased by 3.3 percent in the third quarter as compared to the previous three months.
Saudi Arabia has been undergoing regulatory reforms, and it has been opening up its industries through opening tourism, renewable energy, and technology to international investors, and through the Ministry of Investment, it has initiated initiatives to seek foreign capital.
However, the GASTAT shows that outflows in FDI were approximately SR2.7 billion in the third quarter, a 65.7 percent decline compared to the third quarter of 2024. Outflows decreased by 11.4 percent compared to the second quarter.
In another announcement in September, GASTAT reported that FDI inflows were increasing by 24 percent in 2024 to SR119 billion despite a decline in investment flows in the world. The Ministry of Investment reported the inflows as being more than the annual target of the National Investment Strategy of SR109 billion.
The ministry also said that Saudi Arabia has exceeded its FDI targets in four years in a row, with an annual target to grow between SR140 billion in 2025 and SR388 billion in 2030.
Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih, commenting earlier on the 2024 performance, indicated that the continuity of foreign investment in spite of global challenges signifies the Kingdom’s ability to navigate economic headwinds.
