Saudi Arabia was one of the largest reformers in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region in developing a business-friendly environment, according to a new World Bank report issued yesterday. The “Doing Business” report tracked the changes over the last five years in MENA countries which have positively or negatively impacted the ease with which private companies can do business. Factors judged included: Starting a business; obtaining construction permits; employing workers; registering property; obtaining credit; protecting investors; paying taxes; trading across borders; enforcing contracts; and closing business. Saudi Arabia ranked 16th on the list. Singapore was the top reformer, while Djibouti was the worst. The report, which aggregated a variety of factors and assigned a score (“1” was the highest, and “153” was the lowest) to each country in the region, praised Saudi Arabia for being a “top regional reformer.” --MORE
