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RIYADH: ������Ƶ’s Ministry of Investment has granted 550 foreign new ventures the Startup Investment Registration, known as the Riyadi license, as of mid-2025, marking an annual rise of 118 percent. 

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, known as Monshaʾat, has issued 364 licenses to business incubators and accelerators nationwide, according to a report by the body. 

Monshaʾat said these entities provide facilities for prototype development, mentorship, and connections to investors and commercial partners. 

The increase in Riyadi registrations aligns with the Kingdom’s surge in venture capital activity. 

According to regional platform MAGNiTT, ������Ƶ led MENA VC funding in the first half of 2025, with $860 million raised, representing a 116 percent annual increase across 114 deals. This marked a 31 percent rise in deal count compared to the same period in 2024. 

This momentum built on a record 2024 performance, when startups in the Kingdom secured $750 million in funding and saw a 34 percent increase in early- and mid-stage “MEGA” rounds below $100 million.  

“This increase forms part of joint national efforts to reinforce the Kingdom’s role as a regional hub for entrepreneurship by streamlining market access for foreign startups and establishing a flexible regulatory environment that supports innovation and attracts investment,” Monsha’at’s report said. 

According to the Ministry of Investment, this trend reflects growing international interest in ������Ƶ’s investment environment, underpinned by recent legislative changes, expanded digital infrastructure, and a range of support programs introduced in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. 

Saudi organizers have hosted international startup events, including Biban and LEAP, which feature presentations on the local ecosystem and investment opportunities. 

Government agencies and private-sector representatives have attended overseas gatherings, such as the Web Summit, VivaTech, and Slush, to facilitate networking with foreign entrepreneurs and promote the Kingdom as a potential base for regional operations. 

In addition to the Riyadi permit, the Ministry of Investment will issue a full suite of eight sector-specific business licenses, designed to accommodate virtually any foreign investor’s needs. 

These include service licenses, which permit 100 percent foreign ownership for activities such as IT, consulting, marketing, and hospitality; entrepreneurial authorizations that offer streamlined fees and access to government-led support for startups; and industrial licenses for establishing manufacturing facilities. 

Specialized agricultural permits cover crop cultivation and animal husbandry, while trade licenses authorize wholesale, retail and import-export operations. 

Additional categories encompass real estate licenses for development and brokerage projects, professional permits for individual practitioners and solidarity firms, and mining licenses for exploration and extraction activities. 

Each permit carries tailored minimum-capital requirements and documentation processes, but all are obtainable through MISA’s online portal, which centralizes application, approval and renewal under a unified regulatory framework. 

RIYADH: The number of hybrid vehicles imported into Jordan during the first half of 2025 rose by 31 percent year on year, reaching 6,834 units, new figures showed.

Released by the Jordan Free Zones Investors Commission, the numbers indicated that despite the increase, total vehicle clearance from the Zarqa Free Zone to the local market dropped by 9 percent annually during the same period, the Jordan News Agency, also known as Petra, reported.

The rise in imports of these vehicles aligns with a broader regional trend. An analysis published by market research firm Claight in December projects the hybrid vehicle industry across the Middle East and Africa to see a compound annual growth rate of 17.7 percent between 2025 and 2034.

The newly released Petra statement said: “The commission’s representative for the automotive sector, Jihad Abu Nasser, attributed the drop to shifts in consumer demand and the impact of recent regulatory and tax measures, particularly those affecting electric vehicles. He noted that several vehicle categories saw a downturn, including electric and diesel models.”

Gasoline car imports stayed fairly steady, with a slight 3 percent jump year on year during the first half of the year. The number of cleared gasoline cars increased from 2,683 to 2,753, representing a 70 vehicle increase.

Re-export activity from the free zones saw significant growth, with vehicle exports rising by 67 percent annually to reach 39,641 re-exported vehicles in the first half of the year.

The Petra statement added that Abu Nasser said the robust re-export growth underscores the responsiveness of Jordan’s free zones to regional market demands, particularly from Syria and Iraq. 

“He emphasized that the decline in local market clearances, combined with changes in consumer preferences and new policies, highlights the need for regulatory clarity and a stable investment environment. He added that the commission continues to monitor these developments closely due to their significant impact on the vehicle sector and investment activity in the free zones.”

Across the Middle East, interest in environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional combustion engine vehicles is gradually rising, as automakers accelerate the rollout of new EV models each year.

������Ƶ aims to have at least 30 percent of its cars be electric-powered by 2030, following its pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

Meanwhile, the UAE is pushing for 42,000 EVs to be on its streets within the next decade. To meet the rising demand for green mobility, the UAE opened its first EV manufacturing facility in Dubai Industrial City in 2022, at a total cost of $408 million.

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s EV market is highly competitive, with Tesla at the forefront and brands like BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz close behind.