Amazon, Microsoft & Google Are Opening Headquarters in Saudi Arabia

Global tech giants Amazon.com Inc, Google and Microsoft Corp have received licenses to establish regional headquarters in Riyadh. The companies are ramping up their presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in response to pressure from the government, which announced that it will stop giving contracts to companies that do not commit to a headquarters within the country.

The announcement is part of a larger economic plan to attract international investment, and limit 'economic leakage' that comes from spending money on contracts which ultimately take Saudi workers and executives out of the country. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeks to position Riyadh as the preeminent business hub in the Middle East, putting it in competition with Dubai.