Socioeconomic Impact Assessment in Saudi Arabia: problems and perspectives

The Socioeconomic Impact Assessment (SIA) specialists face a host of challenges in interpreting the importance of social and economic impacts. Evidence is abundant in the literature about the serious implications resulting from incomplete or prejudiced SIA analyses during execution of the projects and beyond. This paper conceptualises the significance of social and economic impacts, and discusses some practical issues and perspectives supported by the experience in conducting recent SIA studies in Saudi Arabia. The findings are intended to help EIA and SIA specialists, regulators and other stakeholders to determine the social and economic impacts with more objectivity and accuracy.