02 Dec 2024

Saudi Arabia’s Economic Council reviews outlook, approves key growth strategies

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs reviewed the Kingdom’s economic outlook and strategies to address global challenges, offering recommendations to support growth and resilience.  

In a video conference meeting, the council began by reviewing the quarterly economic report from the Ministry of Economy and Planning, which highlighted key developments in both global and national economies, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

 

This follows Saudi Arabia’s 2.8 percent economic growth in the third quarter of 2024, driven by strong performance in non-oil sectors, official data showed.  

The country’s non-oil sector expanded by 4.2 percent year-on-year, in line with Vision 2030’s goal to reduce dependence on oil, according to a recent report from the General Authority for Statistics. 

During the meeting, the council reviewed the Ministry of Finance’s third-quarter report on the performance of the state’s general budget for fiscal year 2024. The report provided a breakdown of financial performance through the third quarter, including indicators for revenues, expenditures, and public debt. 

The findings confirm the Kingdom’s ongoing support for development projects, its strengthening of social care and protection systems, and its commitment to implementing major initiatives under Vision 2030. 

The Ministry of Commerce also presented a report from the Permanent Committee for Price Monitoring during the third quarter of 2024, outlining the roles and tasks of the committee's participants. 

The report highlighted key developments, including global price trends, consumption patterns, and inflation indicators in the Kingdom. It also detailed consumer goods prices for the third quarter and the measures taken to ensure the availability of goods and maintain price stability. 

The meeting also covered several other topics and reports, including the National Export Strategy Project, the National Savings Strategy, and initiatives related to financial inclusion and education. 

Additionally, the council reviewed the third-quarter 2024 Real Estate Price Index, the executive summary of foreign trade for August 2024, the September 2024 Consumer Price Index report, and the Wholesale Price Index report for the same period. 

The meeting concluded with the council making necessary decisions and recommendations on all discussed matters. The council’s recommendations and decisions are set to guide the country’s economic trajectory in the coming months.