Saudi Gazette report

JUBAIL — Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih revealed that the Eastern Province has more than 700 investment opportunities listed on the "Invest in Saudi" website, with a total value exceeding SR330 billion.

Addressing the Jubail Investment Forum 2025 on Sunday, the minister said that 34 international companies have decided to open their regional headquarters in the Eastern Region. Emir of the Eastern Province Prince Saud bin Naif inaugurated the Forum, which was organized by the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, and in partnership with the Ministry of Investment.

Al-Falih emphasized that the ministry is continuously working with relevant sectors to identify and develop new investment opportunities in the region, in addition to marketing available opportunities at local and international conferences, and attracting local and international investors. It is also working in cooperation with the Saudi Investment Marketing Authority to attract investments.

The minister stated that the number of active foreign investment licenses issued by the ministry in the Eastern Province until the beginning of this year reached 5,456, saying that this contributed to the employment of more than 53,000 people, with a Saudization rate of 36 percent.

Al-Falih emphasized that the Eastern Province enjoys numerous strategic and competitive advantages, including its geographical location, the availability of natural resources, including abundant fossil and renewable energy, transportation and logistics facilities, integrated infrastructure, and a young and ambitious Saudi workforce. The region also possesses elements and components that make it an incubator for innovation at world-class standards, in addition to one of the most important elements of economic progress: the region's distinguished private sector system.

The minister said that these strategic advantages were reflected in the region's investment indicators, as it ranked first in terms of cumulative foreign direct investment in the Kingdom, accounting for approximately 42 percent, with a value of SR 366 billion.