المركز السعودي للتنافسية

I was pleased to receive an invitation to visit the Saudi Center for Competitiveness and Business – the sectoral branch with the Ministry of Tourism. During the visit, we reviewed the center's efforts and initiatives to enhance competitiveness, support the business environment, and empower sectors in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

I was struck by the dashboard in front of me; large numbers summarizing a vast amount of work. There are 19,169,483 services, 2,656,653 establishments served, and 3,215 services available through the center, in addition to 430,046 commercial records whose data has been updated, and 866,306 records with updated ownership data. These numbers, in reality, represent investors, business owners, and establishments, each with their own journey, challenges, time, and costs.

This highlights the importance of the center; the investor needs an entity that simplifies the path for them, gathers services, clarifies requirements, and helps them understand the correct procedure and the relevant authority. Through the business platform, investors can access a wide range of services in one place, starting from establishing the entity and issuing records and licenses, through modifying entity data and renewing licenses, to services related to expansion and conducting activities.

I believe that the value of the center goes beyond the idea of providing service; it represents an important space for protecting the investor's journey and rights through clear procedures and requirements, standardizing the service acquisition journey, and providing clear channels for inquiries and addressing obstacles. The more the investor knows what they are entitled to and what is expected of them, the anticipated duration of the service, and the regulatory requirements they need, the more capable they become of making confident decisions, protecting their time, money, and effort.

The center also works on improving the investor's journey by reviewing and developing procedures in partnership with government entities, and the number of economic, procedural, and technical reforms implemented through it has exceeded a thousand reforms, in partnership with dozens of government agencies.

This is an important aspect of the concept of competitiveness; competitiveness does not only mean having a strong economy, but also that the investor feels that the work environment around them is clear, that the systems and procedures help them grow, and that their voice and feedback reach the relevant authorities.

I left the visit thinking that the large number on the screen carries behind it a small story of an investor; perhaps they started their project, or transferred ownership of their establishment, or issued a license, or saved days of waiting. When we simplify a step for the investor, we grant them time. And when we grant them time, we give their project a greater opportunity to grow.

Here, numbers transform from indicators on a dashboard to a real impact on the economy; because behind every service is an establishment, behind every establishment is an idea, and behind every idea is an opportunity that can create something new in a nation confidently moving towards the goals of its vision.

In conclusion.. the dashboard may summarize millions of services in numbers, but behind every number is a person with an idea, an establishment looking for an opportunity, an investment waiting to grow, and a click of a button that accomplishes years of journey.