Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pursuing a bold plan to transform Riyadh into the world’s largest city and to lift its population toward 15 million by 2030, a development widely cited by Bloomberg. The effort includes a shift in government policy set to begin in 2024, limiting contracts with international firms that lack regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia.
Reports indicate that Will Brown, a senior adviser at global risk consultancy Control Risks, is preparing to relocate his family to Riyadh and establish the company’s local headquarters there. This move signals a broader push to anchor more multinational operations within Saudi borders as part of the kingdom’s growth strategy.
Analysts note that Saudi Arabia intends to outpace Dubai in certain dimensions—offering a more competitive, cosmopolitan environment while pursuing a price point that could favor the Saudi market over the UAE capital. The strategy aligns with Riyadh’s broader ambition to attract investment, talent, and strategic assets from around the world, reinforcing its role as a regional hub.
Historically, Saudi Arabia has exercised considerable influence over the global oil market, shaping production policy within OPEC+ to manage daily supply. Riyadh’s approach to voluntary supply adjustments remains a central element of its economic and geopolitical strategy, impacting prices and market dynamics across the region and beyond. The evolving rules and incentives presented by the new framework aim to accelerate local employment, foster domestic innovation, and enhance the kingdom’s competitive standing on the global stage. In this context, businesses are weighing the benefits of establishing a regional footprint in Saudi Arabia against the costs and logistical considerations of expanding into a rapidly changing market. The overarching objective is to position Riyadh not merely as a capital city, but as a thriving, internationally integrated center for commerce, finance, and technology—an outcome that would have ripple effects across the regional economy and the broader oil landscape (as reported by Bloomberg).