RIYADH — A meeting of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA), held via videoconference on Thursday, discussed the Ministry of Finance report that detailed the performance of the national budget for the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year. The briefing outlined key financial performance indicators—including revenues, expenditures, and public debt levels—demonstrating Saudi Arabia's ability to manage its public finances with exceptional efficiency and flexibility amidst ongoing global economic and geopolitical shifts. The report also highlighted the strength of the nation's financial position, the continued diversification of its economic base, and the implemented proactive fiscal policies, which have sustained economic and social development, advancing the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 while ensuring medium- and long-term financial stability. The council also reviewed a presentation from the Project Management Office detailing the implementation of decisions and recommendations issued by the Council during the second quarter of 2026 and highlighting statistics on achievement levels across government centers and representative entities. The Council meeting reviewed the monthly report of the Ministry of Economy and Planning, which outlined the key developments and challenges facing the global economy, its growth prospects in light of rapidly evolving geopolitical developments, and their potential implications for the national economy. The report also highlighted the opportunities presented by current economic developments to enhance the competitiveness of the national economy, support the Kingdom's economic development journey, and strengthen its ability to keep pace with global transformations. The Council also reviewed a semi-annual briefing from the Human Capability Development Program and the Ministry of Media regarding the progress of Saudipedia. The presentation highlighted the multilingual encyclopedia's digital footprint, search engine optimization strategies, and its ongoing integration of artificial intelligence to enrich user experience. It underscored efforts to maximize the platform's knowledge impact, enhance the prominence of national content, and establish Saudipedia as a highly reliable source documenting Saudi Arabia's reality and continuous progress. The Council was also briefed on the remarkable progress of Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity sector, which ranked first globally in the Cybersecurity Index for the third consecutive year. The CEDA reviewed the latest executive summaries covering the Consumer Price Index, the Wholesale Price Index, the quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP), national accounts, and foreign trade. The Council adopted the necessary decisions and recommendations regarding these matters.
