Riyadh: The National Competitiveness Center (NCC), in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), organized a high-level workshop on the Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI). The two-day workshop, held at NCC headquarters, brought together 70 representatives from 30 government entities as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the regulatory environment of the services sector and strengthen the Kingdom’s global competitiveness.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the workshop provided a comprehensive overview of the STRI, including its background, data collection and analysis methodologies, and a detailed explanation of the scoring and weighting mechanisms, as well as how the index can serve as a tool to support evidence-based policymaking. Discussions addressed key service sectors such as logistics, postal and courier services, distribution, transport, finance, professional services, and telecommunications, and their impact on trade flows, global value chains, and
the growth of e-commerce.

The STRI serves as an analytical tool for assessing trade policies in the services sector, measuring openness to trade and investment across five main categories.

NCC’s workshops, organized in collaboration with international organizations and global competitiveness institutions, reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to improve the competitiveness environment and position Saudi Arabia among the world’s most competitive countries.