Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said that foreign direct investment inflows have doubled since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, reaching SR119.2 billion in 2024. Addressing the Saudi-Japanese Ministerial Forum in Riyadh, he said that the total foreign investment stock in the Kingdom has reached SR 977.3 billion.

Al-Falih emphasized that opening the real estate and financial markets to foreign investors by 2026 will strengthen the Kingdom's position as a global financial center. “The forum showcased key performance indicators reflecting the strength of the partnership between the two countries, highlighting 38 percent growth in trade between Saudi Arabia and Japan since 2016,” he said.

Al-Falih noted that the volume of trade between the Kingdom and Japan reached SR138 billion, making Japan the Kingdom's third-largest trading partner. He added that 18 Japanese companies have established their regional headquarters in Riyadh.

The minister stated that more than 120 investment licenses have been granted to Japanese companies. He also pointed out that the Kingdom continues to be Japan's largest energy supplier and that they are working together on clean energy transition projects.

Regarding cultural relations between the two countries, Al-Falih revealed that the Kingdom's pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025 drew more than 3 million visitors.