Saudis court commerce

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By Jumana al-Tamimi THE WASHINGTON TIMES

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | Contrary to general impressions, Saudi Arabia is an easier place than many Western countries to start a new business and aims to be among the top 10 most competitive nations next year.

On average, starting a business in developed nations requires 5.7 procedures and takes 13 days, according to a recent report by the World Bank. In Saudi Arabia, it takes only four procedures and five days, the report said.

On a list of 183 countries, the report put the oil-rich nation No. 13 in terms of ease of doing business. Singapore was first, and the U.S. ranked fourth.

Saudi Arabia's goal is to go from the top 15 to the top 10 most competitive nations in the world by 2010, said Dahlia Khalifa, a senior strategy adviser at the World Bank and a co-author of the recent report.

She told The Washington Times that the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) has been the spearhead for the national strategy known as 10 by 10.

SAGIA was established in 2000 to act as a gateway to investments inside the kingdom, create a pro-business environment and build a knowledge-based society.

SAGIA is credited with introducing one-step shops to centralize critical services. A large number of government departments are represented in such offices and provide free access to 128 business-related services ranging from licensing to banking.

Saudi economic columnist and businessman Hussein Shobakshi credited the progress to King Abdullah, who has been de facto ruler of the country since 1996 and succeeded to the throne in 2005.

Under King Abdullah, "we entered a new era," Mr. Shobakshi said. "We started to witness a paradigm shift in the mentality [of society] and in the way of handling problems. It has become less sensitive to talk about problems publicly and directly in media, and even in public gatherings."

At the same time, Mr. Shobakshi said more progress is needed and that "there are many complaints we still hear from Saudis, Arabs and foreigners, as well, that there are obstacles that can be removed."