Saudi Arabia is second in the Middle East in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report and 26th overall, according to the recently released 2014 report. The placement represents an overall drop of 4 slots in the coveted ranking since 2013, when the Kingdom was ranked 22nd overall.
The placement is out of 189 countries. Saudi Arabia was ahead of Bahrain (46), Oman (47), Qatar (48), Tunisia (51), Kuwait (104), Lebanon (111), Jordan (119) and Egypt (128).
The World Bank’s Doing Business report “sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations,” according to the World Bank.
The only area in which Saudi Arabia improved in the rankings is in the category called “Resolving Insolvency.”
Saudi Arabia ranks third in the region in starting a business, at 84th overall.
