Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Saudi Arabia among top five countries driving FDI growth in MEA region, says report  

Saudi Arabia among top five countries driving FDI growth in MEA region, says report  

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, South Africa, Egypt and Qatar were the top five countries that drove foreign direct investment in the Middle East and Africa as the region achieved the largest gain in FDI market share in 2022, a new report revealed.
The Middle East has been the fastest-growing region for FDI since 2019, surging 13.6 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to the new report released by the Investment Monitor, which provides data, insights, and analysis on FDI.

Africa’s FDI also increased by 17.7 percent in 2022 when compared with the previous year.

However, despite losing global market share, Europe, Asia, and North America continue to be the top three regional markets for FDI, according to the report.

Launched on the second day of the Annual Investment Meeting in Abu Dhabi, the report further revealed that digitalization and green energy were at the top of investors’ priorities during the year.

Major investments in the region include British firm J.O. Steel’s $865-million integrated billet manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, said Glenn Barklie, chief economist at Investment Monitor and head of FDI services at Global Data Media.

He disclosed that other investments include India’s ACME Cleantech’s $13 billion investment in green hydrogen in Egypt and France’s TotalEnergies and its partner China National Offshore Oil Corp.’s $10-billion crude oil production site in Uganda.

Released under the title “Investment Monitor’s FDI Report 2023: A Focus on the Middle East & Africa,” the report also sheds light on potential opportunities for securing an even larger share of FDI as investors seek green investment.

“On the greenfield side of things, we did see it’s effectively a lapse in the time frame, so a lot of the growth that we have seen in 2021 and 2022 is a rebound,” Barklie said.

“There are over 1,600 ultimate parent companies that have invested in the Middle East and Africa in 2022,” he added.

The chief economist explained that firms tended to focus on only one market, either the Middle East or Africa.

Each of the top five countries managed to attract FDI via several sources, stated the report. For instance, while Egypt managed to attract FDI projects through its renewable programs, Qatar attracted FDI as the FIFA World Cup put the gas-rich Gulf nation under the spotlight.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia attracted FDI as it benefited from opening its borders to tourism.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×