{{Short description|Government ministry of Saudi Arabia}} {{Infobox government agency | name = Ministry of Investment | native_name = {{lang|ar|وزارة الاستثمار}} | logo = Saudi Ministry of Investment Logo.svg | image = | image_caption = | formed = {{Start date and age|2020|02|25}} | preceding1 = General Investment Authority (2000 – 2020) | preceding2 = | preceding3 = | jurisdiction = Government of Saudi Arabia | headquarters = Riyadh | minister1_name = Fahd Al-Saif | website = {{url|https://misa.gov.sa/en/}} }} The '''Ministry of Investment''' (Arabic: وزارة الاستثمار) is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia responsible for overseeing foreign investment in the Kingdom. It issues licenses to foreign investors and works to develop the country’s investment environment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Asharq Al-Awsat |title=Saudi Royal Decree Forms 3 New Ministries, Merges 2 Others |url=https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2149016/saudi-royal-decree-forms-3-new-ministries-merges-2-others |work=Asharq Al-Awsat |date=25 February 2020 |access-date=13 February 2026}}</ref>
== History ==
The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) was established on 10 April 2000. Historically, the Authority was responsible for issuing foreign investment licenses to non-Saudi companies seeking to operate in the Kingdom,<ref name="Kalin">Stephen Kalin, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-cabinet-idUSKBN20J232 Saudi ex-energy minister bounces back as investment chief], Reuters (February 25, 2020).</ref><ref name="Allam">{{cite web |last=Allam |first=Abeer |date=30 March 2014 |title=Saudi red tape frustrates foreign investment |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3c6413ce-a381-11e3-aa85-00144feab7de |access-date=3 December 2016 |publisher=Financial Times}}</ref> and did not have a broader role in economic regulation.<ref name="Kalin" />
Prince Abdullah bin Faisal, a member of a side branch of the ruling House of Saud, served as Chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority from 2000 until his resignation in March 2004.<ref name="pbs">{{cite web |date=October 7, 2004 |title=Who's Who: The House of Saud: Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/uncategorized/whos-who-the-house-of-saud-prince-abdullah-bin-faisal-bin-turki-al-saud/2885/ |work=Wide Angle |publisher=PBS}}</ref><ref name="Pfanner">{{cite web |author=Eric Pfanner |date=June 24, 2003 |title=Saudis see foreign investment as one tool to polish image: A closed kingdom opens a little |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/24/business/worldbusiness/IHT-saudis-see-foreign-investment-as-one-tool-to.html |agency=International Herald Tribune |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><ref name="FormerInvestmentChief">Reuters, [https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-usa-diplomacy-idINL8N12L3AA20151021 Former investment chief is new Saudi ambassador to Washington], Reuters (October 21, 2015).</ref> During his tenure, he promoted greater openness to foreign investment, along with trade liberalization and privatization efforts.<ref name="pbs" /><ref name="Pfanner" /><ref name="FormerInvestmentChief" /> His leadership coincided with Saudi Arabia’s accession to the World Trade Organization.<ref name="FormerInvestmentChief" /> However, these reforms faced resistance from more conservative elements within the government and parts of the Saudi bureaucracy.<ref name="pbs" /><ref name="Pfanner" />
The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority later played a role in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative, which emphasizes economic liberalization, foreign direct investment, and economic diversification.<ref name="ReutersFactbook">{{cite web |date=October 29, 2021 |title=Factbox: Major Saudi Arabian non-oil deals since 2016 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-investment-deals-factbox/factbox-major-saudi-arabian-non-oil-deals-since-2016-idUSKBN1X81D4 |work=Reuters}}</ref> In 2017, it launched the Tayseer program to improve the investment climate for private companies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-12 |title=Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority launches TAYSEER to stimulate investing climate |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1192101/saudi-arabia |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> The authority signed a number of major non-oil investment agreements.<ref name="ReutersFactbook" /> At the third annual Future Investment Initiative conference in October 2019, it signed 23 agreements worth a combined $15 billion.<ref>Reuters, [https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-investment-deals-idUSB2N27D00Y Saudi Arabia signs $15 bln in agreements at annual investment forum - statement], Reuters (October 29, 2019).</ref> These included agreements with Modular Middle East, ForDeal, Shiloh Minerals, BRF Brazil Food, KME, and Xylem Inc..<ref name="ReutersFactbook" />
In October 2011, Pfizer signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority to establish its first manufacturing plant in King Abdullah Economic City. In 2016, Pfizer was granted 100% foreign ownership of its legal entity in Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web |author=Rashid Hassan |date=July 29, 2016 |title=SAGIA grants Pfizer 100% ownership of KSA business |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/961166/economy}}</ref> In August 2017, the authority announced that it would allow 100% foreign ownership in the engineering sector for the first time, although eligibility remained limited to established multinational companies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kane |first=Frank |date=9 August 2017 |title=Saudi Arabia to allow 100% foreign ownership of engineering firms |newspaper=Arab News |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1141826/saudi-arabia}}</ref>
In 2020, a royal order replaced the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority with the Ministry of Investment under Khalid Al-Falih, the former chairman of Saudi Aramco.<ref name="Kalin" /> The creation of the ministry formed part of a broader government reshuffle led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom, aimed at accelerating economic diversification beyond petroleum.<ref name="Kalin" /> It was initially unclear whether the new ministry would assume broader powers than its predecessor.<ref name="Kalin" />
In February 2026, Khalid Al-Falih was relieved of his position as Minister of Investment, and Fahd Al-Saif was appointed as his successor as part of a broader government reshuffle.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |title=Al‑Saif: From Engineering Saudi PIF’s Strategy to Investment Minister |url=https://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5240378-al-saif-engineering-saudi-pif%E2%80%99s-strategy-investment-minister%C2%A0 |newspaper=Asharq Al‑Awsat |date=13 February 2026 |access-date=13 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fahad Al-Saif appointed Investment Minister |url=https://www.argaam.com/en/article/articledetail/id/1880071#:~:text=King%20Salman%20issued%20today%2C%20Feb,of%20State%20and%20Cabinet%20Member. |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
== List of investment officials == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! style="text-align:center;"| No. ! style="text-align:center;"| Portrait ! Official ! Took office ! Left office ! Time in office |- ! colspan="6" style="background:#ccffcc;" | Governors of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (2000–2020) |- | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | Abdullah bin Faisal | 10 April 2000 | 22 March 2004 | 3 years, 347 days |- | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | Amr Al-Dabbagh | 23 March 2004 | 18 May 2012 | 8 years, 56 days |- | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | Abdullatif Al-Othman | 18 May 2012 | 7 May 2016 | 3 years, 355 days |- | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | Saud bin Khalid (Acting) | 7 May 2016 | 22 April 2017 | 350 days |- | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | Ibrahim Al-Omar | 22 April 2017 | 25 February 2020 | 2 years, 309 days |- ! colspan="6" style="background:#ccffcc;" | Ministers of Investment (2020–present) |- | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | Khalid Al-Falih | 25 February 2020 | 12 February 2026 | 5 years, 352 days |- | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 100px | {{interlanguage link|Fahd Al-Saif|ar|فهد آل سيف}} | 12 February 2026 | Incumbent | {{ayd|2026|2|12}} |}
==See also== * Ministries of Saudi Arabia
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}{{Saudi Arabia topics}}{{authority control}}
Investment Category:2020 establishments in Saudi Arabia Category:Government ministries established in 2020 Saudi Saudi Arabia