Incentives to investors

Saudi Arabia is a signatory to various regional agencies guaranteeing a level playing field to foreign investors. It is a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The Kingdom, hence, ensures the same treatment, protection and incentives accorded to a national. The pre-investment assistance provided by SAGIA and other government agencies includes helping foreign investors prepare feasibility studies for industrial projects. They also provide information and statistics for investment projects within the scope of Saudi Arabia’s development plans. Land for setting up industrial units is available throughout the Kingdom in several industrial cities. The land can acquire for lease or sale at nominal charges.

The government makes electricity, water and fuels available to industrial projects at low prices. Industrial parks have public utilities like roads, desalinated water, telephones, police stations, restaurants and postal services. Commodities are entering the Kingdom as input for industrial production and some basic foods exempted from customs duties. Duties on other products range from 5 percent to 20 percent. The Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) gives soft, medium and long-term loans to industrial establishments for up to 50 percent of the total cost of the project. The payback period is up to 15 years. There is also a two-year grace period from the start of production.