Saudi Arabia is sharpening its pitch to the world’s biggest contractors, inviting them to set up shop in the Kingdom as cranes swing and mega-projects rise across its desert skylines.
At the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, officials unveiled the International Contracting Office (ICO) — a new gateway designed to make it easier for global players to plug into Riyadh’s Vision 2030 ambitions. The office promises a streamlined process for business registration, certifications, and project access, positioning itself as the one-stop hub for international construction giants eager to tap into the Saudi boom.
The stakes are staggering. By 2030, construction spending in the Kingdom is expected to soar past $1.4 trillion, with real estate alone adding more than a billion square metres of built-up area — not even counting the colossal giga-projects already underway.
Projects like NEOM, The Red Sea, Amaala, Diriyah Gate, Qiddiya, and New Murabba are just a few names on a swelling roster that has turned Saudi Arabia into the epicenter of global construction demand. Riyadh itself is transforming with urban marvels such as King Salman Park and Roshn.
“The demand for contracting services is immense,” a senior official from the Ministry of Investment said, underscoring that construction and real estate now account for about 10 percent of the country’s non-oil economy.
The ICO isn’t just about cutting red tape. It will also provide standards, certifications, directories, and a bridge to partnerships across the Saudi ecosystem. Its committee brings together all the heavyweights — from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources to the Saudi Contractors Authority and even giga-projects like NEOM — ensuring foreign firms don’t stumble over local hurdles.
The streamlined approach promises business registration and licensing within five to eight weeks, while special Saudi certifications needed to bid on projects can be secured in under two months.
But this surge is already rippling beyond Saudi borders. Developers in Dubai and elsewhere have struggled to lure contractors, with some forced to launch their own in-house construction arms as Saudi Arabia’s mega-ventures pull in talent, equipment, and resources.
With the ICO now in place, the Kingdom is effectively throwing open the gates — and the world’s largest contractors are being told: the desert is calling.
