Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Opening: A New Horizon for Global Businesses
Saudi Arabia is becoming a global investment hub. Backed by consistent reform and an assertive vision for economic diversification, the Kingdom has entered a new phase defined by openness, action, and execution.
In just the first quarter of 2024, 184 international companies established regional headquarters in Riyadh, with nearly 600 global firms now operating from within the Kingdom. The shift is not symbolic, it is structural. From foreign ownership laws to streamlined licensing, Saudi Arabia is now competing globally for capital, talent, and innovation.
Among the most significant signals of this shift is the recent policy to allow full foreign ownership of real estate. This landmark reform reflects a broader readiness not just to attract investment, but to embed it within the Kingdom’s most strategic sectors.
One sector stands out in particular: hospitality. As projects like NEOM, AlUla, The Red Sea, and Diriyah Gate progress from vision to reality, demand for high-quality tourism and hospitality infrastructure is surging. Saudi Arabia is not just opening its borders to tourists. It is opening its economy to the businesses that will shape the experiences they come for.
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A Vision Anchored in Respect and Inclusion
This strategic openness is grounded in a broader national goal. As His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated:
“Our vision for our country is that of a strong and prosperous state that is inclusive of everyone. Its constitution is Islam, and its approach is moderation, embracing others. We will welcome talents from everywhere, and everyone who comes to join us in building and achieving success will be treated with respect.”
This statement is more than a vision. It is a policy compass. Every new regulation, foreign investment law, and headquarters license speaks to that same commitment: building a country that partners with the world, not just invites it.
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AVANA Companies Seeing the Momentum in Saudi Arabia Launches Ezdaher to Be Part of the Growing Hospitality Sector
When a country matches ambition with action by welcoming foreign investors, streamlining regulations, and launching transformative projects, it captures the attention of global institutions ready to commit for the long term.
For AVANA Companies, a U.S.-based financial group with over 23 years of experience in hospitality and structured financing, Saudi Arabia offered more than just market access. It offered alignment with a forward-looking economy actively shaping its future.
As tourism and hospitality emerged as key drivers of Vision 2030, AVANA saw a clear opportunity to be part of the growing hospitality sector. Not just as a financer, but as a long term participant.
This led to the creation of Ezdaher, a Saudi-based fintech platform focused on providing sharia compliant smart, flexible credit solutions tailored to the unique needs of hospitality and tourism developers in the Kingdom. Backed by AVANA’s global expertise, Ezdaher bridges international financing standards with deep local understanding.
As a fintech platform, Ezdaher combines on-the-ground presence with digital underwriting and deal evaluation tools that accelerate capital deployment and improve project visibility. It’s built to serve Saudi Arabia’s developers with both speed and strategic alignment.
Whether it is funding midscale hotel projects in urban centers or supporting resort developments aligned with giga-projects like NEOM and The Red Sea, Ezdaher is positioned to contribute meaningfully to a sector at the center of Saudi Arabia’s transformation. The team is already engaging with Saudi-based developers, hotel operators, and regional investment groups across Riyadh, Jeddah, and key tourism corridors.
By launching Ezdaher, AVANA is not just expanding internationally. It is investing in a vision and embedding itself in one of the most dynamic hospitality growth stories in the world.
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Hospitality Finance A Sector That Reflects the Kingdom’s Transformation
Hospitality is more than a commercial opportunity in Saudi Arabia. It is a cornerstone of the country’s economic diversification agenda. With tourism set to contribute over 10 percent of GDP by 2030, the need for financing structures that are responsive, tailored, and aligned with public-private development goals has never been greater.
Ezdaher fills that space. Built locally, backed globally, and designed with Vision 2030 in mind, it serves as a financial partner for those shaping Saudi Arabia’s new identity—hospitality entrepreneurs, developers, and international hotel operators who see the long-term potential.
Saudi Arabia is not just building hotels. It is building experiences, new industries, and a new global image. Hospitality sits at the intersection of that transformation, and it needs capital partners who understand the nuance.
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A Market Ready for Meaningful Participation
Saudi Arabia’s message to the world is clear. It is open for business and for partnership. The reforms are real, the momentum is measurable, and the sectors from tourism and logistics to fintech and real estate are increasingly ready for global investment.
What sets this moment apart is not only the welcome, but the ecosystem the Kingdom has built to ensure participation is successful. For Ezdaher, this is not a test market. It is a strategic, long-term commitment to building alongside the Kingdom’s most ambitious sectors. This is not a market to observe. It is a market to build in. And through Ezdaher, that is exactly what we are here to do.
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Sources
Gulf Business – Saudi Arabia opens real estate market to foreign investors
https://gulfbusiness.com/saudi-arabia-opens-doors-to-foreign-investors-in-real-estate/
Business Startup Saudi Arabia – Saudi attracts 184 foreign headquarters in Q1 2024
https://www.businessstartupsaudiarabia.com/news/saudi-attracts-184-foreign-headquarters-2024/
Arab News – Saudi Arabia aims to become preferred destination for foreign investment
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2597436/business-economy
Zawya – Nearly 600 global companies choose Saudi Arabia as regional headquarters
https://www.zawya.com/en/business/investment/nearly-600-global-companies-choose-saudi-arabia-as-regional-headquarters-al-falih-fy7klywj
