This month, Saudi Arabia announced its fiscal 2013 budget, totaling $218.7 billion, including $76 billion in appropriations. Special attention was given to projects involving science and technology. Education appropriations increased 21% to $54.4 billion. Among the education projects will be 15 new colleges and three university hospitals. Health expenditures increased 16% to $26.7 billion, including funding for 19 new hospitals, adding to the over 102 hospitals currently being built. Expenditures for municipality services, and infrastructure and transportation increased 23% and 16% to $9.6 billion and $17.3 billion, respectively. The budget for water, agriculture, industry and other economic resources grew 11% to $15.2 billion, with $6.4 billion budgeted to new projects, including water treatment networks.

Source: Ministry of Finance