Saudi Arabia// — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched a new National Privatisation Strategy to significantly expand the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in delivering and operating large-scale projects and advancing economic diversification in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Led by the National Center for Privatization & PPP (NCP), the Strategy provides unprecedented opportunities for long-term foreign direct investment in initiatives to enhance the quality and efficiency of infrastructure and public services in the Kingdom, strengthen the role of the private sector in sustainable economic development, enable the government to focus on its legislative, regulatory and oversight roles, and enhance fiscal sustainability.
Saudi Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Board of the NCP, His Excellency Mr Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, stated:
“In the Kingdom, we strive to establish future-ready infrastructure with high quality and efficiency, ensuring that public services delivered to citizens, residents, and visitors are among the best in the world, while strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global reference in public-private partnerships.”
The National Privatisation Strategy aims to increase resident and visitor satisfaction with public services across 18 targeted sectors, create tens of thousands of high-quality jobs, sign more than 220 PPP contracts by 2030, and mobilise over $64 billion (SAR 240 billion) in private capital investment by 2030.
The launch of the Strategy marks the transition from the foundational phase – completed under the 2018 Privatisation Program – to a new phase focused on execution and accelerating delivery.
The Strategy will open up new sectors for private sector investment locally and internationally, including transport and logistics, water, health and education infrastructure and real estate, enable participation in larger and more complex projects, increase financing opportunities, as well as accelerate new partnerships and reinvestment in mature projects.
The government will seek partners for projects including the Saudi Landbridge linking east and west coasts through Riyadh, several education infrastructure projects, water desalination, treatment and strategic reservoir, as well as international airports.
The Strategy establishes five core programs related to planning, regulation, human capital, awareness and prioritization, to enable and advance the privatization ecosystem. These are supported by 42 executive initiatives to achieve its objectives and contribute to Vision 2030 privatization targets. It also includes an executive program dedicated to identifying and prioritizing privatization opportunities, with more than 145 priority opportunities identified—representing attractive investment prospects for the private sector.
The 2018 Privatization Program has achieved several key milestones, most notably the establishment of the National Center for Privatization & PPP (NCP), the approval of more than 200 projects with estimated total investments of approximately $213 billion, and the signing of nearly 90 contracts, including asset sale and PPP contracts across multiple sectors.
The Program also contributed to strengthening private sector participation, enhancing the operational efficiency of government assets, and advancing the legislative and regulatory environment that supports investment – thereby supporting economic diversification goals and improving the Kingdom’s competitiveness regionally and globally.
