JEDDAH, 17 May 2005 — Saudi Arabia will allow foreign investors to own 60 percent of the local banks’ capital instead of 49 percent before the end of this year.

Al-Eqtisadiah business daily quoted informed sources as saying that Saudi Arabia would take this step according to the requirements needed to become a member of the World Trade Organization.

The official announcement of Saudi Arabia’s membership will be made at the organization’s meeting in Hong Kong in December.

US President George W. Bush promised last month after meeting Crown Prince Abdullah at his Texas ranch that Washington would support Saudi Arabia’s efforts to join the WTO before the end of this year.

Saudi Arabia has 11 banks out of which seven are partially owned by foreign investors. The seven banks are Saudi British Bank, Saudi Hollandi Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi, the Arab National Bank, Samba Financial Group, Bank Aljazira and the Saudi Investment Bank with stakes varying between 31 and 40 percent. “The Saudi and American negotiators have reached an agreement last month on increasing the share of foreign investors in the capital of a bank to 60 percent,” Al-Eqtisadiah said.

Saudi Arabia enacted and updated a number of laws in recent years in its bid to join the world body. They include opening up insurance and telecom sectors for foreign investment. A WTO agreement with the US is the remaining major hurdle before the Kingdom’s admission to the body. The talks between Crown Prince Abdullah and Bush were instrumental in substantially cutting down that hurdle.

Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf expressed his optimism about Saudi Arabia’s speedy WTO accession and said the remaining technical issues related to WTO agreement with the United States could be resolved within weeks.

Speaking to Saudi Television on the outcome of Crown Prince Abdullah’s meeting with Bush, Al-Assaf said the US assurance to help Saudi Arabia win WTO membership before the end of this year was a significant achievement.

“We have reached an agreement on major topics during our talks with the US secretary of commerce and industry and the US negotiating team. Only technical aspects are remaining which could be settled within the coming days or weeks,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Al-Assaf saying.

He was echoing a statement by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal who said Riyadh and Washington were close to a WTO agreement.