The Council of Economic and Development Affairs of Saudi Arabia convened via video conference to examine the monthly report from the Ministry of Economy and Planning. The report outlined key global economic trends, growth prospects amid regional shifts, potential effects on the national economy, and opportunities to strengthen the Kingdom's role as a regional economic and logistical hub.
Economic Resilience and Policy Impact
The report underscored the high resilience of the Saudi economy and the adaptability of its logistics system to global changes. It highlighted the positive impact of various policies on growth rates, including maintaining one of the world's lowest inflation levels and achieving a trade surplus driven by rising exports. These outcomes support the Kingdom's development objectives under Saudi Vision 2030.
Government Performance in Q1 2026
The National Center for Performance Measurement, known as Adaa, presented a quarterly review of public entities' performance for the first quarter of 2026. This included an assessment of government agency indicators and initiatives linked to Vision 2030, the center's role in measuring national strategies, monitoring agency contributions, and mechanisms to improve performance practices. The results indicated an improvement in the percentage of initiatives that were on track or completed by government agencies compared to the last quarter of 2025. Efforts continue to support these agencies, address challenges, and implement corrective plans to further enhance government performance.
Traffic Safety Achievements
The council reviewed the annual report from the ministerial committee for traffic safety, a key component of the Health Sector Transformation Program and Vision 2030's strategic objectives. The report examined historical traffic accident data, strategic performance indicators for 2025 with targets through 2027, an assessment of current traffic conditions across the Kingdom, summaries of ministerial and executive committee decisions, and achievements of relevant authorities. It highlighted a qualitative leap and global leadership in traffic safety, attributed to leadership support and intensive cross-sector collaboration. This resulted in a historic reduction of more than 60 percent in the traffic accident fatality rate in 2025 compared to 2016. Further progress is expected to enhance quality of life and protect the health of citizens and residents.
Other Agenda Items
The meeting addressed several procedural matters, including the draft organizational arrangements for the industrial council, monitoring results of the health situation during the Umrah season, and a report from the Ministry of Economy and Planning on the Kingdom's participation in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos. The council also reviewed the monthly report on implementing the executive plan for hosting regional and international governmental organizations and bodies. Additionally, it discussed the quarterly report from the Digital Government Authority on government entities' performance in the UN E-Government Development Index, the periodic report of the national framework committee for regulating governance, risk, compliance, and internal audit departments, the monthly executive summary of foreign trade, and underlying reports. The council adopted necessary decisions and recommendations on these matters.
