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SAGIA and SAP Proclaim IT Innovation Essential to KSA’s Business Future

A vibrant and innovative IT sector will be vital for business development and sustainable job creation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), according to the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and German IT giant SAP. The observation was made by SAGIA Governor His Excellency Amr Al-Dabbagh and SAP Co-CEO Bill McDermott today during high-profile keynote speeches delivered to leading figures from the KSA business community.

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Kingdom’s transportation projects attractive prospect for investors

Kingdom’s transportation projects attractive prospect for investors

The 2nd edition of Saudi Transtec opened on Monday, with Faisal Ali Al-Zikin, deputy minister for transportation, and consultant presiding over the ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony. Supported by Ministry of Transportation, the event will continue till Wednesday.

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bmi to open pilot jobs for Saudis

bmi to open pilot jobs for Saudis

A British airline company, which recently received a license to operate independently in Saudi Arabia, is keen to create job opportunities for Saudi nationals as pilots. Joerg Hennemann, Chief Commercial Officer, British Midland International (bmi), told Saudi Gazette Wednesday in an exclusive interview that Saudi Arabia is a prospering country and its economy has been booming, which in turn will help the aviation sector grow and create a number of job opportunities for Saudis in various job categories. BMI has pilots of different nationalities, but so far no Saudi pilot is working with the airline, he said. “I have no problem with Saudis working with the airline,” said Hennemann.

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Pfizer Signs Saudi Arabia Pharmaceutical Plant Deal

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) signed an agreement to open a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

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Saudi Arabian Government signs SR5bn loan agreement with Emaar, The Economic City

Saudi Arabian Government signs SR5bn loan agreement with Emaar, The Economic City

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Finance has signed a loan agreement with Emaar, The Economic City (Emaar.E.C), a Tadawul-listed company, for SR5bn to accelerate the development of the second phase of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), the largest of its kind private sector development in the region

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IDB, KAEC explore areas of cooperation

IDB, KAEC explore areas of cooperation

JEDDAH: A delegation of high officials of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) visited King Abdullah Economic City, Tuesday. Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali, President of IDB, members of the Board of Executive Directors of the bank and heads of institutions, were welcomed by Prof. Fahd Bin Abdul Mohsen Rashid, Managing Director and Executive Chief Officer at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and Amro Bin Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).

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Country Focus - On the Ground: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the world’s oil and gas epicentre

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest producer and exporter of petroleum liquids in the world and the second largest producer of crude oil after Russia. To date, its economy is highly dependent on oil and petroleum-related industries including petrochemicals and petroleum refining.

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Report: Full coverage from KSA Downstream Forum

Report: Full coverage from KSA Downstream Forum

The first Saudi Arabian Downstream Forum focused mainly on how downstream players could help create job opportunities and diversify KSA’s economy.

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Saudi, Turkish officials discuss customs cooperation

Saudi, Turkish officials discuss customs cooperation

RIYADH: Senior customs officials from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, meeting here, expressed their satisfaction on the final version of a draft agreement for cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries on issues related to customs, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

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Saudi plans to boost crude burn for power generation

Saudi plans to boost crude burn for power generation

Saudi deputy minister for electricity Saleh Alawaji has said the kingdom plans to increase its use of crude for power generation in 2011, as the country balances use of a new oilfield against obligations to OPEC, Reuters has reported.

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SAGIA chief outlines main tasks for five-year strategy

SAGIA chief outlines main tasks for five-year strategy

The governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) has said that its doors are as open to local investors and small businesses as they are to foreign investors. Amr Al-Dabbagh, speaking on the SAGIA’s strategy for 2011 to 2015, said that investors were a “fundamental element in a large-scale economic vision to achieve a range of developmental goals in the Kingdom”.

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SAGIA chief admits mistakes in mega cities locations

SAGIA chief admits mistakes in mega cities locations

JEDDAH: Responding to questions following his speech at the Jeddah Economic Forum on Tuesday, Amr Al-Dabbagh, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) stated that before an organizational body existed, mistakes have been made concerning the locations of mega economic cities.

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Zones set up to boost the remoter regions

Zones set up to boost the remoter regions

Saudi Arabia hopes to bring economic development to remote regions that have been left out of the kingdom's petroleum-fuelled growth with newly exploited mineral resources. Population centres in the north and south of the kingdom that have until now mainly fed off agriculture, tourism and military bases are set to benefit from special economic zones, where some national laws are relaxed to encourage business growth.

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Saudi Arabia is seeking foreign investors industrial parks

Saudi Arabia is seeking foreign investors industrial parks

Saudi Arabia is seeking foreign investors to help create industrial clusters that generate jobs for the kingdom’s growing population. The government’s “investment strategy is to focus on localisation and investment domestically” over the next four years, Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority governor Amr Al Dabbagh said yesterday at a conference in Yanbu, on the country’s Red Sea coast. The investment agency will target plastics, transport, logistics and other industries, he said.

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Sagia backs SME forum

Sagia backs SME forum

Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (Sagia) has extended its support to the SME Economic Forum 2011 to be held in March in Dammam. The summit is endorsed by Prince Mohamed Bin Fahad Al Saud, Governor of Eastern Province, and organised by Naseba and the Asharqia Chamber. The forum takes place on March 29 and at the Asharqia Chamber’s headquarters in Dammam.

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SAGIA Governor: Kingdom Among Top Five Countries in the World in Economic Reforms

SAGIA Governor: Kingdom Among Top Five Countries in the World in Economic Reforms

Dammam - The Governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment AuthoritySaudi Arabian General Investment Authority Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority SAGIA , Amr Al-Dabbagh said that a number of developmental steps and reforms took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2010 leading to the improvement of the Kingdom in a report of Doing Business, ranking the Kingdom as the first one at Arab level and the 11th at the global level.

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Doing Business 2011

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking on the ease of doing business index means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. This index averages the country's percentile rankings on 9 topics, made up of a variety of indicators, giving equal weight to each topic. The rankings are from the Doing Business 2011 report, covering the period June 2009 through May 2010

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