The Saudi Malaysia Business Council aims to help raise trade between the two countries to SR50 billion within the next five years, according to its chairman Mansour Al-Fuqairi.
The value of trade between the two countries is around SR15 billion but the current level does not “meet our ambition,” said Al-Fuqairi, who was interviewed by the Okas Arabic newspaper.
The council plans to establish a center in Malaysia to accommodate the kingdom’s date exports. The center will reportedly be the largest in the world of its kind.
“Our strategy in the council is to increase Saudi exports to east-Asian countries in general and Malaysia in particular, in addition to attracting Malaysian factories to open in the Kingdom,” Al-Fuqairi is reported as saying.
The Saudi side is also cooperating with the Islamic University in Malaysia to send young Saudis to benefit from the Malaysian expertise in work and development, as well as attracting Malaysian professionals to work in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia can largely benefit from the Malaysian expertise in the field of small and medium businesses and in training and development in different fields, said Al-Fuqairi.
Malaysia is a country that is attractive to investments because of several reasons including its security and economic power, he added.
The council also intends to attract different Malaysian industries to open factories in the Kingdom including car, airplane and engine manufacturers, as well as transferring knowledge of saline-water desalination and transportation, he said.
“Establishing an Arabic TV channel in Malaysia is sought, but it is still an idea and requires more study and work,” said Al-Fuqairi.
Malaysian investors in the field of health have the desire to enter the Saudi market through establishing research centers and operating and maintaining hospitals “and we have started communicating with our Malaysian brothers in this regard,” he said.
Business council targets Saudi-Malaysian trade worth SR50 billion
Business council targets Saudi-Malaysian trade worth SR50 billion
Kuwait draws $725m in new FDI in 2024–25, KDIPA says
JEDDAH: Kuwait attracted about 222.9 million Kuwaiti dinars ($725 million) in new foreign direct investment during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, as the Gulf state seeks to boost private-sector activity and diversify its economy.
The inflows were approved between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, under Kuwait’s foreign investment framework, the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority said in its 10th annual report released this month.
Approved investments during the period originated from countries including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US, as well as the UK, China and the Netherlands, according to data cited by the state-run Kuwait News Agency.
“The authority noted that cumulative approved investments from January 1, 2015, to March 31, 2025, increased to 1.97 billion dinars, spread across 105 investment entities from 34 countries, covering 16 vital sectors,” KUNA reported.
KDIPA said these investments have supported the national economy through job creation, local talent development, technology transfer and localization, increased domestic content, and higher exports.
Sheikh Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, director general of KDIPA, said: “Investments have facilitated job creation, technology transfer, and export enhancement, with expenditures by licensed entities increasing by 17.6 percent to reach 1.09 billion dinars between 2015-2023.”
He added: “The first decade of KDIPA’s journey has demonstrated Kuwait’s ability to attract value-added investments and maximize their impact in supporting economic development, thanks to institutional work and close cooperation with our partners in both the public and private sectors.”
Al-Sabah said KDIPA had strengthened its Gulf relations through active participation in high-level meetings, committees, and regional economic initiatives.
“Locally, it enhanced cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and with more than 15 other government entities to ensure the completion of investment licensing procedures, facilitating approvals, and granting incentives in accordance with its law, in addition to developing a digital integration mechanism to streamline procedures for investors,” he said, according to the report.
He emphasized that the annual report marks a key milestone in tracking progress, providing updates on developments, analyzing operational and investment trends, and identifying challenges and risks, along with ways to address them.
“This aims to advance work methodology, improve decision-making processes, adjust course of action, and enhance performance in a manner that embraces credibility, transparency, and professionalism, while monitoring progress, evaluating efforts, and being more future-ready,” he concluded.
KDIPA noted that the report coincides with the 10th anniversary of its establishment as Kuwait’s official authority for promoting the country and attracting value-added investments.
