Government structure »

The modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by King Abdulaziz al-Saud in 1932. It has been ruled by his sons since his death.

• » Economy

  As the world’s largest oil exporter, it is not surprising that Saudi Arabia’s economy is dominated by hydrocarbons income. Oil revenues account for 85-90% of total export revenues and about 50% of gross domestic product (GDP).

• » Setting up a business in the kingdom

  Hazem Midani from Jumana House explains the legal issues foreigners face when setting up a business in the kingdom.

• » Saudisation

  The proportion of Saudi nationals working in the private sector dropped from 17% to just 10% over the decade leading up to 2010. To counter this, in 2011, the government introduced the Nitaqat scheme, a colour-coded system that rewards firms for good behaviour and punishes those that fail to recruit sufficient nationals.

• » Sharia

  Hesham al-Homoud, partner and head of corporate & commercial for Saudi Arabia at UAE-based law firm Al-Tamimi & Company, explains the implementation of Islamic law in the kingdom.

• » Taxes

  Yasser al-Khalaiwi from Saudi law firm Omar al-Rasheed & Partners answers key questions about taxes in the kingdom.

• » Employment law

  Hesham al-Homoud, partner and head of corporate and commercial for Saudi Arabia at law firm Al-Tamimi and Company, explains employees’ rights and employers’ obligations.

• » Dissolving a company

  Reed Runnels from law firm Omar al-Rasheed explains how to wrap up a business in the kingdom.

• » Industrial cities

  The diversification of the Saudi Arabian economy has been a strategic objective for Riyadh since the 1970s. However, the development of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil-based economy has accelerated rapidly since the mid-2000s, with a number of strategies being implemented that aim to bring wealth and prosperity to the entire kingdom.