The Financial Development And Economic Growth Nexus: The Role Of Saudi Arabian Financial Institutions

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of the financial development and the financial institutions quality on the economic growth for the Saudi Arabia. Using generalized Method of Moments (GMM) with a dynamic panel framework, this paper employs different measures of financial development namely the Liquid liabilities (LIQ), Private credit by deposit money banks and other financial institutions (CRE) and Central bank assets (ASS), and for financial institutions quality including socioeconomic conditions, investment profile, law and order, corruption, external conflicts and democratic accountability. For the period (1990-2017), our findings strongly support the hypothesis that financial development leads to growth in the Saudi Arabia. Moreover, empirical results support a positive and significant relationship observed between financial institutions quality and growth. The findings of this paper suggest the need to give more support to the financial development for Saudi Arabia banking that have been launched in the country since the last three decades and to improve the role played by the financial institutions to stimulate saving/investment and, consequently, long-term economic growth.