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Discuss an opportunity

Boutique consultancy · Riyadh

In Saudi Arabia, the licence is the easy part. The hard part is the partner, the project and the first contract.

We are a small, founder-led consultancy for international companies. We find the opportunities worth pursuing, open doors to the partners and clients behind them, and help you structure and de-risk the move. Our in-house team handles the setup, once the business case is real.

Discuss an opportunityHow we work
  • 01Opportunity & market intelligence
  • 02Partnerships & joint ventures
  • 03Business development & sales
  • 04Strategy & risk advisory

01 — Why opportunity comes first

Most companies enter Saudi Arabia backwards.

They register a company, lease an office and hire a country manager, then start looking for business. Months of overhead later, many are still searching for the right partner or the first client. We reverse the order.

The usual route

  1. Register the company
  2. Lease an office
  3. Hire a local team
  4. Start looking for business

Overhead first. Revenue, eventually.

The NAAS route

  1. Find and validate the opportunity
  2. Secure the right partner
  3. Win the first business
  4. Set up the structure to deliver it

Revenue in sight before overhead.

02 — The Kingdom at a glance

A different economy from the one most boards remember.

Ten years into Vision 2030, the numbers describe a market that has diversified, opened and grown. 2026 has tested it: regional conflict has slowed growth this year (IMF forecast: 1.7%), but the structural shift is what long-term entry decisions should rest on.

Nominal GDP in 2025
US$1.28tn1
Non-oil activities’ share of real GDP in 2025, up from 45% in 2016
55%2
Net foreign direct investment in 2025, up 53% on 2024
US$32.6bn3
Regional headquarters licensed by end-2025, against an original 2030 target of 500
700+4
Population in mid-2024, growing 4.7% a year
35.3m5
Share of Saudi nationals under the age of 35
69%6
Companies with foreign investment in 2025, up from about 5,000 in 2020
~55,0007
Sovereign ratings (S&P and Fitch / Moody’s), all with stable outlooks
A+ / Aa38
  1. GASTAT, March 2026
  2. Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025 (GASTAT data)
  3. GASTAT; UNCTAD World Investment Report 2026
  4. Royal Commission for Riyadh City; Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025
  5. GASTAT Population Estimates 2024
  6. GASTAT, August 2025
  7. Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025
  8. S&P (Sep 2026), Fitch (Jul 2026), Moody’s (May 2026)

Investment

Net foreign direct investment inflows

US$ billion

025502017201820192020202120222023202432.62025
View data as a table
YearUS$ bn
20171.1
201812.3
20193.2
20201.6
202128.3
202226.7
202322.9
202421.3
202532.6

Sources: Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025 (GASTAT revised methodology) for 2017–2024; GASTAT for 2025.

Vision 2030 scorecard

Private sector share of GDP

51%2025

Baseline: 44%2030 target: 65%

Saudi women’s labour-force participation

35.0%2025

Baseline: 22.8%2030 target: 40%

Tourist visits a year

123m2025

Baseline: 65.3m (2019)2030 target: 150m

FDI inflows as a share of GDP

2.8%2025

Baseline: 1.0%2030 target: 5.7%

Source: Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025; tourism baseline from the Ministry of Tourism (2019). Baselines are Vision 2030 reference values from around 2016–2019.

03 — What we do

Four practices. One small, senior team.

Our work starts with the question that matters most: where is the business worth winning, and how do you win it? We stay focused on that question. Our in-house lawyers and government relations officer take care of setup and compliance in service of it.

01

Opportunity & Market Intelligence

Qualified opportunities, not generic market reports: where demand, budget and policy are converging in your sector, and who holds the decision.

Learn more02

Partnerships & Joint Ventures

The right Saudi partner, found, vetted and introduced, with support through structuring and negotiation.

Learn more03

Business Development & Sales

Your team on the ground: senior introductions, vendor registration and a pipeline built to convert into contracts.

Learn more04

Strategy & Risk Advisory

Senior, independent advice on how to enter, where the risks sit, and how to structure the business so it holds up.

Learn more

Then, the structure around it

05Establishment & ComplianceThe right vehicle for the business you have won, set up and kept in good standing by our in-house legal and government relations team.

04 — Where the opportunity is

Every zone where the Kingdom is building.

Giga-projects, MODON and Royal Commission industrial cities, special economic zones, energy and mining hubs, and the ports that connect them. Filter by type, zoom to a region, select a point.

Opportunity map of Saudi ArabiaMap of Saudi Arabia showing giga-projects, major cities, MODON industrial cities, Royal Commission cities, special economic zones, economic cities, energy and mining hubs, and ports.Red SeaArabian GulfRiyadhJeddahDammam / KhobarNEOM (Oxagon)The Red SeaAlUlaJubail Industrial CityYanbu Industrial CityWa’ad Al-Shamal

57 locations

  1. RiyadhMajor cityCapital and base for 700+ regional headquarters; home to the Expo 2030 site, two special zones and the Kingdom’s main dry port.
  2. JeddahMajor cityRed Sea commercial gateway with Jeddah Islamic Port; a host city for the 2034 World Cup.
  3. Dammam / KhobarMajor cityEastern Province energy hub and Aramco base, with King Abdulaziz Port and hyperscale cloud regions.
  4. NEOM (Oxagon)Giga-projectRe-scoped: the Oxagon port and industrial city is the priority, with its container terminal opening in phases from 2026; The Line is paused until after 2030.
  5. The Red SeaGiga-projectRed Sea Global’s resort destination, open and expanding; AMAALA opened in 2026.
  6. AlUlaGiga-projectHeritage tourism destination around Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  7. QiddiyaGiga-projectEntertainment city near Riyadh; Six Flags opened in December 2025.
  8. DiriyahGiga-projectHeritage and mixed-use giga-project in Riyadh, still awarding work: SAR 4.9bn of contracts in the first half of 2026.
  9. Jubail Industrial CityRoyal Commission cityRoyal Commission city of about 1,016 km² and one of the world’s largest petrochemical complexes; SABIC and Aramco anchor it, with its own ports and utilities.
  10. Yanbu Industrial CityRoyal Commission cityRoyal Commission city of about 606 km² on the Red Sea; refining and petrochemicals at the end of the East–West pipeline, with a dedicated port.
  11. Ras Al-Khair Industrial CityRoyal Commission cityRoyal Commission city for minerals and maritime industries: Ma’aden’s aluminium and phosphate complexes and the IMI shipyard.
  12. Jazan City for Primary and Downstream IndustriesRoyal Commission cityRoyal Commission city with its own port and a 400,000 b/d Aramco refinery; heavy industry, metals and food processing.
  13. King Abdullah Economic City SEZSpecial economic zoneSpecial economic zone with 5% corporate tax for up to 20 years; anchors the automotive cluster (Lucid, Ceer, Hyundai) beside King Abdullah Port.
  14. Jazan SEZSpecial economic zoneSpecial economic zone focused on food processing, metals and logistics, with the same 5% tax package for up to 20 years.
  15. Ras Al-Khair SEZSpecial economic zoneSpecial economic zone for shipbuilding, offshore and maritime industries, inside the Royal Commission city.
  16. Cloud Computing SEZSpecial economic zoneA special zone hosted at KACST in Riyadh that lets cloud providers operate data centres across the Kingdom under one regime.
  17. Special Integrated Logistics ZoneSpecial economic zoneBonded logistics zone at King Khalid International Airport: 0% corporate tax for up to 50 years, the longest incentive in the Kingdom.
  18. Knowledge Economic CityEconomic cityMixed-use economic city in Madinah focused on knowledge industries, hospitality and services for visitors.
  19. Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic CityEconomic cityEconomic city in Ha’il planned around logistics, agribusiness and light manufacturing on the north–south corridor.
  20. SPARKEnergy or mining hubKing Salman Energy Park: a 50 km² energy-industry park near Abqaiq developed by Aramco, with a dry port and logistics zone.
  21. Wa’ad Al-ShamalEnergy or mining hubPhosphate mining and processing city in the far north; Ma’aden’s third phosphate project is under way.
  22. King Abdullah PortPort or logistics hubPrivately developed deep-water container port at KAEC, serving the automotive cluster and Red Sea transshipment.
  23. Jeddah Islamic PortPort or logistics hubThe Kingdom’s busiest port and its main Red Sea gateway, with growing transshipment volumes.
  24. King Abdulaziz PortPort or logistics hubMain container port on the Gulf coast, linked by rail to Riyadh Dry Port.
  25. Riyadh Dry PortPort or logistics hubInland container terminal linked by rail to Dammam; the main customs gateway for central Saudi Arabia.
  26. Riyadh 1st Industrial CityMODON industrial cityMODON’s original Riyadh site, dating from the 1970s; fully built out, with food, plastics and general manufacturing.
  27. Riyadh 2nd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityThe capital’s largest mature industrial city: metals, building materials, packaging and food.
  28. Riyadh 3rd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNewer MODON city south-east of the capital with serviced plots for light manufacturing and logistics.
  29. Sudair City for Industry and BusinessMODON industrial cityOne of MODON’s largest cities, on the Riyadh–Qassim highway and the North–South railway; land for large plants in food, building materials and pharmaceuticals.
  30. Al-Kharj Industrial CityMODON industrial citySouth of Riyadh, at the heart of the Kingdom’s dairy and food-processing cluster.
  31. Dhurma Industrial CityMODON industrial citySmaller MODON city west of Riyadh for general manufacturing.
  32. Shaqra Industrial CityMODON industrial cityRegional MODON city north-west of Riyadh for light manufacturing and food.
  33. Al-Zulfi Industrial CityMODON industrial cityRegional MODON city in the north of Riyadh Province for light manufacturing.
  34. Dammam 1st Industrial CityMODON industrial cityEstablished in the 1970s beside King Abdulaziz Port and the rail line; metals, plastics and food.
  35. Dammam 2nd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityThe Eastern Province’s main general industrial city, between Dammam and the oil-services corridor.
  36. Dammam 3rd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityThe newest Dammam city, on the highway to Riyadh, with land for larger plants.
  37. Al-Ahsa 1st Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNear Hofuf; food and date processing and light manufacturing for the Al-Ahsa oasis.
  38. Al-Ahsa 2nd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNewer city on the Salwa road toward Qatar and the UAE, suited to logistics and export manufacturing.
  39. Hafr Al-Batin Industrial CityMODON industrial cityServes the north-east and the trade corridor to Kuwait and Iraq.
  40. Jeddah 1st Industrial CityMODON industrial cityJeddah’s original industrial city, close to Jeddah Islamic Port; food, consumer goods and general manufacturing.
  41. Jeddah 2nd Industrial CityMODON industrial citySouth of Jeddah on the coastal road; plastics, packaging and building materials.
  42. Jeddah 3rd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNewer city beside the second, with serviced land for light manufacturing and logistics.
  43. Makkah Industrial CityMODON industrial cityServes the Holy City’s year-round demand for food and consumer goods.
  44. Taif Industrial CityMODON industrial cityHighland city with food processing, furniture and light industry.
  45. Rabigh Industrial CityMODON industrial cityBeside the Petro Rabigh refining and petrochemical complex; downstream plastics and conversion.
  46. Madinah Industrial CityMODON industrial cityFood, consumer goods and light manufacturing for Madinah and its visitors.
  47. Yanbu Industrial City (MODON)MODON industrial cityMODON’s light-industry city, separate from the much larger Royal Commission city next door.
  48. Qassim 1st Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNear Buraidah; food processing and agribusiness in the Kingdom’s farming heartland.
  49. Qassim 2nd Industrial CityMODON industrial cityExpansion city for Qassim with serviced plots for light manufacturing.
  50. Ha’il Industrial CityMODON industrial cityAgribusiness and light manufacturing; Ha’il is one of the promising regions where SIDF can finance up to 75% of a project.
  51. Tabuk Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNorth-western hub for food and light manufacturing, the nearest MODON city to NEOM.
  52. Al-Jouf Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNear Sakaka; olive, grain and food processing, close to large solar projects.
  53. Arar Industrial CityMODON industrial cityNorthern Borders city near the Iraq crossing, serving cross-border trade.
  54. Asir Industrial CityMODON industrial cityAt Khamis Mushait; light manufacturing and food for the southern highlands.
  55. Jazan Industrial City (MODON)MODON industrial cityMODON’s light-industry city in Jazan, separate from the Royal Commission city to the north.
  56. Najran Industrial CityMODON industrial citySouthern border region; general manufacturing, in a promising region for SIDF finance.
  57. Al-Baha Industrial CityMODON industrial cityThe smallest regional city, for light manufacturing and food, in a promising region for SIDF finance.

Locations are approximate; smaller industrial cities are placed at their host city. Status as of September 2026. Sources: MODON, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority, developers.

Open the full zone guide

05 — How we work

From first signal to signed contract.

Five steps, in the order value is actually created in the Kingdom, each with a decision gate before you spend more.

  1. 01

    Find

    We test your offer against the market: demand, buyers, competitors and the rules that apply.

  2. 02

    Partner

    We identify and vet the partners that unlock the shortlist and prepare the introductions.

  3. 03

    Win

    We position your offer, register you where buyers procure, and work the pipeline with you.

  4. 04

    Establish

    When there is business to support, we set up the right entity and activate it.

  5. 05

    Protect

    We keep the entity compliant and review partner and regulatory risk as you grow.

See our approach

06 — Where we focus

Sectors where Saudi demand is being built now.

National transformation programmes are creating new buyers, budgets and partnership models across the economy. Each sector page has key figures, buyers and entry routes.

Explore sectors

07 — Typical mandates

Questions we are built to answer.

Is there real demand for our offer in the Kingdom, and who is buying?

How we helpAn opportunity assessment: demand mapping, the buyer landscape and entry options, before any capital is committed.

We need a Saudi partner to qualify for major projects. Who is right, and on what terms?

How we helpPartner search, vetting and joint-venture structuring, through to agreed terms.

We are registered, but the pipeline is empty.

How we helpBusiness development on the ground: introductions, vendor registration and positioning for a first contract.

What could go wrong, and how do we protect ourselves?

How we helpA risk review covering counterparties, regulatory exposure and localization obligations, with a plan to manage them.

Illustrative engagement types, not client case studies.

08 — Why NAAS

Built for the part of the market that isn’t on paper.

01

Opportunity before overhead

You commit capital to a Saudi structure only when there is business to put in it.

02

Small, and founder-led

A limited number of mandates at a time. You work directly with our founder and a small senior team, and the people you meet are the people who do the work.

03

Risk built in

Partners and counterparties are vetted, including sanctions and ownership checks, before you are introduced, not after.

04

Independent

We are paid by our clients alone, never by the partners, buyers or providers we introduce, so our advice has one side: yours.

05

Discretion by default

Mandates are confidential. What we learn about your plans stays with you.

Founder-led

NAAS Consulting was founded by Nawaf Alsahhaf, the founding CEO of the Business Incubators and Accelerators Company (BIAC) in the PIF group and the first CEO of the BADIR Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators. He works on every mandate with a small in-house team of lawyers, a government relations officer and corporate consultants.

Meet the team

09 — Insights

Research-led views on the Saudi market.

01Guide

Saudi Arabia’s industrial zones: a map and a guide to choosing one

More than fifty industrial cities, special economic zones and hubs, run by four different authorities with four different rulebooks. Where they are, what each offers, and how to choose.

9 min readRead02Guide

Local content and local manufacturing: how the numbers work

Local content can outweigh a 10% price gap in a Saudi tender. How it is measured, the exact evaluation formula with a calculator, and the incentives that make manufacturing in the Kingdom pay.

10 min readRead03Guide

Saudi Arabia’s trade agreements: where a Saudi-made product goes duty-free

Saudi Arabia negotiates trade deals through the GCC. What is in force, what has just been concluded, including the UK deal of May 2026, and the rules of origin that decide whether you benefit.

8 min readRead
All insights

Have an opportunity in mind, or looking for one?

Tell us your sector and ambition. Within one business day we will reply with an honest first view of where the opportunity is and, if it fits, a scope for an Opportunity Scan.

Discuss an opportunity