Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih declared that there has been a cumulative surge of over 45 percent in the average salary of Saudis in the private sector.
He added that the number of Saudis in the private sector rose to $2.48 million by the end of 2025, and employment opportunities grew twofold in critical sectors such as tourism.
“The unemployment rate has decreased significantly from 13 percent to just over 7 percent, with a remarkable leap in women’s participation in the labor market,” he stated while addressing a government press conference in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Al-Falih added that the role of women in the Saudi economy has increased more than two times, with the establishment of about 800,000 jobs in the national economy since 2016. He also highlighted that all Saudi citizens are central and vital stakeholders in shaping and executing Saudi Vision 2030.
He pointed out that 56 percent of the overall economy is currently comprised of the non-oil industries, and that the GDP of the Kingdom has increased more than twofold in less than ten years, increasing by SR2.6 trillion in the year 2016 and reaching SR4.7 trillion in the year 2024.
Al-Falih asserted that its presence at the World Economic Forums demonstrated the Kingdom as a unique and positive example, which is sure of its vision, direction, and future, at a time when most of the delegations felt anxious, pessimistic, and confused because of the fluctuations in the global economy worldwide. This brought the Saudi Arabian nation with its vision and accomplishments.
In terms of investment, Al-Falih stated that the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows were at SR119 billion in 2024, and the total fixed capital formation amounted to SR1.441 trillion. He expected that, based on preliminary figures, FDI inflows would exceed SR140 billion in 2025.
The minister reported that the total investment volume in the Kingdom increased from SR672 billion in 2017 to SR1.44 trillion by the end of 2024, exceeding the SR 1.5 trillion mark for the first time in 2025.
Al-Falih also stated that more than 700 foreign firms have been given licenses that have opted to move their regional headquarters to the Kingdom. It has also experienced an uptake in the number of foreign investors to 62,000.
He also pointed out that there were about 1.8 million commercial registrations of Saudi citizens, and the amount of foreign investments amounted to more than SR1 trillion in 2025.
Al-Falih added that the pharmaceutical and accounting sectors would illustrate the robustness of the Saudi economy, the sustainability of its growth, and its growing appeal as a global investment destination.
Al-Falih has observed that the Kingdom is no longer at a stage of easing the process of investment to that of empowering the specialized investors, and that the new investment strategy is about to be implemented, which would improve sustainability and increase the quality of investments.
The minister said that Humain would be the Kingdom’s “Aramco” in the artificial intelligence sector, citing that three major companies have begun manufacturing cars in the Kingdom.
He projected that their combined production in the Kingdom would reach half a million cars in the coming years, contributing to a reduction in imports and an improvement in the trade balance.
Al-Falih added that there will be major IPOs in the Saudi stock market, especially in the debt market, and that several initiatives are being worked out with the Capital Market Authority and Tadawul (the Saudi Stock Exchange) to encourage additional investors.
