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Environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials are no longer merely a ‘nice to have’: they are a must have for much of the mid-market.

The Board of Directors for Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) have approved the amendments to Article 20 of the VAT Implementing Regulations for Saudi Arabia, which are effective from 1 November 2021. We share a summary of the updates.

The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) was implemented by Royal Decree M/19 of 9/2/1443H (16 September 2021) approving Resolution No. 98 dated 7/2/1443H (14 September 2021). It was published in the Official Gazette on 24 September 2021. The Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will supervise the implementation of the new legislation for the first two years, following which a transfer of supervision to the National Data Management Office (NDMO) will be considered.

In December 2021 Saudi Arabia will make electronic invoicing mandatory for all in country taxpayers. The implementation of the electronic invoicing system, named “FATOORAH” will commence on December 4th and will be implemented in two phases. Phase One will commence from 4 December 2021 and will focus on e-invoicing generation and saving enforcement, with Phase Two commencing from 1 January 2023 aimed at integration enforcement which will be implemented in phases. We share insights of Phase One.

Eight of the 13 monitored mid-market industries returned to positive health in H1 2021, as assessed by Grant Thornton’s unique Global business pulse, compared with just two in H2 2020. And the spread of index results narrowed markedly, as more industries enjoyed the benefits of the overall mid-market recovery. Among the biggest industry movers, transport jumped 10.4 points into positive territory to 0.7, while healthcare and manufacturing rose 6.6 points, both also returning to positive ground.

Grant Thornton’s unique Global business pulse index has tracked performance of several industries between 2020 and the same period in 2021. The overall healthcare industry index score turned positive in H1 2021, climbing nearly 7 points to 1.6, which is higher than the global average. The outlook rose by a robust 12 points to 52, above the pre-pandemic level of 51. This was driven by a strong rebound in optimism, shooting up 27 percentage points (pp) to 65%, following a sharp fall in H1 2020 and only modest improvement in H2.

Grant Thornton’s unique Global business pulse index has tracked performance of several industries between 2020 and the same period in 2021. After showing strength in H2 2020, the financial services (FS) industry index declined 2 points and remains in negative territory at -5.3. Supply and demand constraints dragged on the overall FS industry, despite a sharply improved outlook rising to 62, close to the record high of 64 in early 2017.

Grant Thornton’s unique Global business pulse index has tracked performance of several industries between 2020 and the same period in 2021. The telecoms, media and technology (TMT) industry turned positive in H1 2021, with the index marginally above the global average. The outlook in the sector surged to a record high of 67, driven by positive investment intentions and conditions. Conversely, restrictions worsened 9 points owing to rising concern about demand and supply constraints. The media sector was the most pessimistic in outlook.

Higher growth expectations are being seen widely across the world, with slightly elevated levels recorded in the more developed parts where vaccine roll-outs are helping economies to rebound strongly.

Technology firms have experienced high growth potential in 2021, with this trend projected to continue, however firms need to consider how to build resilience against changing customer behaviours, how to access and retain tech talent as demand increases for this new human capital and how to navigate the complexities of an increasingly digital world. We explore these questions further.

We explore whether TMT businesses can seize the opportunities of growing demand, or if they will be held back by the challenges presented by regulation and access to talent.

Reforms to the international tax framework have been debated and discussed at length in recent years. On 5 June 2021, the G7 published a statement setting out a high-level political agreement on such global tax reform. We now look at the potential impact on the technology industry.

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) published its e-invoicing regulations on 4 December 2020, which was also effective from the date of publication. The regulations stipulated that e-invoicing would become mandatory for taxpayers by 4 December 2021. We share summarised insights on phase 1 compliance, along with preparation for phase 2.

The financial services sector is taking stock of the pandemic’s impact, and future working practices. Against this backdrop, Partners working with financial services clients around the globe share their perspectives on advancing female leaders in the sector, and enabling financial services businesses to realise the performance benefits of an inclusive culture.

From liquidity to debt and restructuring, we address the diverse and complex challenges faced by airlines, leasing companies and aircraft funds in particular. We also consider implications for employers and how financial planning for the medium and long term will be affected.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has issued ‘ Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction’ (Amendments to IAS 12). The amendments require an entity to recognise deferred tax on certain transactions ( eg leases and decommissioning liabilities) that give rise to equal amounts of taxable and deductible temporary differences on initial recognition.