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The National Competitiveness Center reported that Saudi Arabia has implemented around 1,000 economic and development reforms and initiatives across 16 priority sectors since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016. These measures focused on productivity, sustainability, inclusiveness and resilience while drawing on expertise from the World Economic Forum, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNCTAD and UNCITRAL. Legislative improvements included the issuance of 1,200 laws and regulations, among them updated Companies Law, Bankruptcy Law and Commercial Courts Law, alongside efforts to simplify business procedures through a single digital destination for government services.
According to the center, 100 investment journeys were redesigned and more than 600 licenses converted to instant issuance as part of efforts to ease market entry in areas such as logistics, education, healthcare, tourism and data management. The center directly monitors five major global competitiveness indicators while assigning 26 others to relevant government entities for ongoing analysis and follow-up. Stakeholder feedback is collected via the Istitlaa public consultation platform and through workshops with local and international businesses to identify obstacles and shape further adjustments.
Implementation of the reforms undergoes verification through mystery-shopper exercises, beneficiary surveys and opinion polls that measure compliance and highlight any remaining gaps, the National Competitiveness Center stated. These processes have contributed to measurable advances in global assessments. IMD data for the 2026 World Competitiveness Yearbook placed Saudi Arabia 13th overall among 70 economies and third among G20 members, with top-10 finishes in 74 sub-indicators including commercial services exports growth.
The World Bank Group announced its partnership with the National Competitiveness Center in December 2024 to establish the knowledge hub in Riyadh, aimed at sharing Saudi reform experiences with other nations seeking to strengthen their own competitiveness models. Several countries have since requested access to the specialized expertise developed by Saudi institutions. The hub facilitates knowledge transfer, collaborative research and capacity-building programs centered on business environment reform and sustainable economic development.
International Monetary Fund figures show Saudi non-oil real GDP expanded 4.5 percent in 2024, reflecting the diversification impact of the reform program. The IMF also reported that female labor force participation among Saudi nationals rose from 17.4 percent in 2017 to around 36 percent by early 2023. These gains complement the structural changes that have narrowed gaps with leading economies in governance, labor markets and capital market regulations.
The National Competitiveness Center has emphasized that the competitiveness model extends beyond initial adoption to sustained monitoring and adaptation based on performance data and user input. Reforms have spanned both legislative updates and technological enhancements to support a more resilient economy less dependent on hydrocarbons. The World Bank partnership builds on this foundation to promote peer learning across regions on topics including regulatory simplification and private-sector development.
