KSA is considered both a regional and middle power, with the largest economy in the Middle East, and the nineteenth-largest economy in the world. It is ranked 62 of 190 countries in terms of ease of doing business according to ‘Doing Business 2020’ report by World Bank.

According to OPEC, KSA is also the largest exporter of petroleum and possesses around 17 percent of the world’s total proven petroleum reserves. Whilst KSA is recognised as an oil-based economy with the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world it has sought to diversify its revenue base to protect itself from oil price fluctuations.

It has recently launched a broad and ambitious socio-economic reform plan known as Vision 2030, aimed at diversifying the economy, creating private sector jobs for a growing population, and placing government finances on a sounder footing.

Cash payments is the the second most popular payment method (34%) according to a 2020 study. However, during 2020, digital payments grew by 75% and cash withdrawals fell by 33%, so the country’s inevitably going in the cashless direction, and by 2025, digital payments are projected to accumulate as much as $42.3 billion in value.