We will consider all our options and deploy all relevant resources in support of Vision 2030.

without having to fight for retail business. She talked enthusiastically about the big projects being planned in the Kingdom, and the potential for Citi’s involvement in them.

“Saudi Arabia is going through a transformational phase at societal and economic levels which requires trusted and time-tested advice. We will consider all our options and deploy all relevant resources in support of Vision 2030.

“We are excited about breakthrough projects such as Neom, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced recently, and we can certainly lend our global expertise in the area of public-private projects (PPP) to such mega plans as part of our offering,” she said.

In particular, Haddad sees bright times ahead for the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial institution being groomed to become a global giant. “I think PIF has such an incredible opportunity, and the very exciting prospect of being the biggest SWF in the world,” she said.

There is one issue Citi faces in its new-found status in the Kingdom. Some commentators have speculated that the presence of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal as a big, long-term shareholder in Citi, and the banks’ decades long relationship with him, might hamper its ability to get government business in the wake of the anti-corruption campaign underway in the Kingdom.