{"id":103203,"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2025\/12\/10\/railways-galore\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:00:00","slug":"railways-galore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2025\/12\/10\/railways-galore\/","title":{"rendered":"Railways galore"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, wonderful people.<\/strong> It\u2019s a somewhat unexpectedly busy Wednesday in the Kingdom, even as there\u2019s no unifying theme or thread to the biggest stories of the day. <\/p>\n

Leading our newswell this morning is Wall Street analysts\u2019 projections for Saudi Arabia\u2019s<\/strong> budget deficit in 2026<\/strong>, with Goldman Sachs and Bank of America in particular holding more pessimistic views than the Saudi government. The outlook comes as the banks see a year of heavy spending and record bond issuance to fund major infrastructure projects weighing on the Kingdom\u2019s fiscal position next year. <\/p>\n

PLUS- We had a chat with Yusef Alyusef, managing director and partner at Alvarez & <\/strong>Marsal in Saudi Arabia<\/strong>, about the drivers behind Saudi Arabia\u2019s tax reforms, the impact of Vision 2030 on the regulatory environment, and how businesses can navigate the complexities of compliance and zakat in a diversifying economy.<\/p>\n

^^ We have these stories and more in this morning\u2019s newswell, below.<\/p>\n

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SOUNDBITE OF THE MORNING- Globalization has ended, giving way to a phase of <\/strong>fragmentation<\/strong>, and countries must reposition themselves to enhance resilience and adaptability amid geopolitical and technological shifts, economist and markets sage Mohamed El Erian was quoted as saying by Mubasher<\/a> at a conference in Riyadh yesterday. AI, advanced sciences, and quantum computing will transform economies over the next five to 10 years, requiring policies to evolve, El Erian said. <\/p>\n

El Erian sees two major economic trends:<\/strong> Locally, economies must liberalize legislation and facilitate investment rather than follow US directives. Globally, trade and investment are increasingly used as pressure tools, marking a shift to \u201cmanageable globalization.\u201d Success in this environment demands resilience, rapid recovery, and strategic innovation, essential for local economies to implement reforms and navigate a fragmented world, he added.<\/p>\n

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FOR THE RECORD- The Riyadh-Doha high-speed electric rail link announced <\/strong>earlier this<\/a><\/strong>week<\/a><\/strong> is a separate project from the Gulf Railway<\/strong>, Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al Jasser told Al Arabiya<\/a> yesterday. The high-speed train between the two capitals is dedicated to passengers and runs completely on green energy, while the Gulf Railway is set for transporting goods on traditional trains.<\/p>\n

ICYMI-<\/strong> The project will span a 785-km route, linking King Salman International Airport with Hamad International Airport. Once operational, it will cut travel time between the two capitals to roughly two hours, handle more than 10 mn passengers a year, and open a corridor for medium and light goods to move more efficiently, bolstering trade flow. The project is expected to take six years to complete, creating over 30k new jobs and adding SAR 115 bn to Saudi and Qatar\u2019s combined GDP in the process.<\/p>\n

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WEATHER- It\u2019s another stormy day<\/strong>, with heavy rain and thunderstorms expected from Asir and Al Baha up to Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, Hail, Qassim, Jazan, Al Jouf, the Northern Borders, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province. Many areas may face bouts of dust, hail, and sudden drops in visibility, while flash floods remain a real threat across valleys and low-lying areas.<\/p>\n