KSA This Week: 50 more roles Saudi-only, unemployment at 6.5%, tourism jobs top 1 million
This week from the Kingdom: 50 more admin and HR roles became Saudi-only on 5 October; Saudi unemployment held at 6.5%, and 96.7% of jobseekers said they would take a private-sector job; tourism jobs reached 1.07 million; Alstom won a €460 million Riyadh Metro order; Riyadh Air added Heathrow flights; Humain and EY plan an AI-native outsourcing service; the 2027 pre-budget set spending at SR1.39 trillion; ACWA Power financed its Rabigh 2 plant; and Al Othaim plans 8,000 new homes. Here is what it means for employers and businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Labour & Saudisation
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50 admin and HR roles that became 100% Saudi-only on 5 October |
The six-month grace period is over. From 5 October 2026, 50 more administrative support jobs in the private sector are reserved 100% for Saudi nationals, under a decision by MHRSD (the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development). They include receptionist, shipping clerk, inventory movement clerk, government relations clerk, public relations specialist, HR consultant, recruitment specialist and workforce planning specialist.
This is the second phase of a decision covering 69 roles in total. The first 19 — including HR clerk, data entry operator, secretary, executive secretary and personnel manager — became Saudi-only in April. None of these jobs had any Saudisation requirement before. The rule applies to any private establishment with one or more workers in a covered job, whatever its size.
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The TASC Take If you still have expatriates working as receptionists, recruiters or HR consultants, you need to act now — move them into other roles or hire Saudis in their place. Look at the duties people actually perform, not just the title on the contract. A staffing partner can source, onboard and pay Saudi talent quickly, and keep your Qiwa records clean. |
Source: Arab News
Jobs & Employment
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96.7% of unemployed Saudis would accept a private-sector job |
Saudi Arabia's overall unemployment rate — Saudis and non-Saudis together — fell to 3% in the second quarter of 2026, according to GASTAT (the General Authority for Statistics). That is 0.1 points lower than the first quarter and 0.2 points lower than a year earlier. Overall labour-force participation held at 67.2%.
Among Saudis, unemployment was 6.5%: up 0.1 points on the quarter, but down 0.3 points on the year. The Kingdom has already passed its Vision 2030 target of 7% and now aims for 5%. Unemployment among Saudi women rose to 9.6%, while for Saudi men it eased to 4.8%. One figure stands out for employers: 96.7% of unemployed Saudis said they would accept a private-sector job. Anil Singh, chief business officer at TASC Outsourcing, told Arab News that diversification is driving demand in technology, tourism, logistics, healthcare and professional services.
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The TASC Take Saudi talent is in demand, and a large pool of jobseekers is ready to join the private sector. The employers who win will be the ones who find, screen and onboard Saudi candidates fastest. With quotas rising, matching the right people to the right roles — not just filling seats — is where a hiring partner adds value. |
Source: Arab News (GASTAT data)
Tourism & Hospitality
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1.07m tourism jobs in Q2 2026, with 24.1% held by Saudis |
Saudi Arabia's tourism sector employed about 1.07 million people in the second quarter of 2026, up 7.2% on a year earlier, according to GASTAT data reported by Arab News. Saudis held 258,043 of those jobs — 24.1% — and non-Saudis 811,077.
Supply is growing fast. Licensed hospitality facilities rose 17.9% to 6,278, of which 3,020 were hotels. Licensed hotel rooms rose 13.2% and serviced-apartment rooms 19.7%. The number of tourism businesses with employees rose 8.7% to 179,507.
Demand has not kept pace with the new rooms, for now. Hotel occupancy slipped to 51% from 53.2%, and the average hotel room rate fell 12.4% to SR563 ($150) a night. Guests are staying longer, though: about five nights on average, up from 4.8.
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The TASC Take Three in four tourism jobs are still held by non-Saudis, and hotel roles such as receptionist already fall under Saudisation rules. Operators must staff thousands of new rooms and raise their Saudi share at the same time. Softer occupancy also means tighter cost control — flexible contract staffing for peak periods helps on both fronts. |
Source: Arab News (GASTAT data)
Projects & Transport
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€460m Alstom order for more driverless trains on Riyadh Metro Lines 3, 4 and 6 |
French rail group Alstom has signed a contract worth about €460 million ($585.5 million) with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. It will supply additional driverless trains for Riyadh Metro Lines 3, 4 and 6 and integrate them into the existing network. Alstom has already delivered 116 driverless trains for these lines.
Since passenger service began in late 2024, the metro has carried more than 100 million passengers. Alstom will maintain the new trains under its existing operation and maintenance contract for the three lines. The company did not say how many trains the order covers.
Alstom has worked in Saudi Arabia since 1951 and has its Middle East regional headquarters in Riyadh. Mohamed Khalil, managing director of its MENA regional HQ, said the company is supporting the Commission as it expands the network.
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The TASC Take More trains mean more people to run and look after them: rolling-stock technicians, control-room operators, station and customer-service staff. Long-term maintenance contracts create steady, skilled jobs — and with Saudisation rising, operators need a pipeline of trained Saudi technicians, not a one-off hiring drive. |
Source: Arab News
Aviation
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9 weekly Riyadh–Heathrow flights from 2 November |
Riyadh Air will raise its Riyadh–London Heathrow service to nine flights a week from 2 November, adding Monday and Wednesday departures to its daily schedule. The new national carrier, backed by PIF (the Public Investment Fund), has also started flying to Manchester.
On 4 October the airline unveiled its first Boeing 787-9 in a new indigo livery, rolled out of Boeing's paint facility in Charleston, US. About one in every 10 aircraft in the fleet is expected to carry the indigo colours, and delivery is due soon.
CEO Tony Douglas said the airline has grown to 10 aircraft and 15 destinations in less than four months. Its growth feeds the national aviation strategy's target of 330 million passengers a year by 2030.
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The TASC Take Every new route and aircraft needs pilots, cabin crew, engineers, and ground and customer-service teams — and a young airline growing this fast hires in waves. Caterers, ground handlers and other aviation suppliers feel the knock-on demand too, often at short notice. |
Source: TradeArabia
Technology & Outsourcing
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1st AI-native business process outsourcing service planned in Saudi Arabia |
Humain, the artificial intelligence company launched by PIF in May 2025, is expanding its partnership with EY MENA to develop what they describe as Saudi Arabia's first AI-native business process outsourcing (BPO) service.
Humain will supply the AI infrastructure and its agentic AI platform, Humain One. EY will bring expertise in finance, audit, tax and advisory, and help sell the service. The aim is to apply AI across whole business processes — combining intelligent agents, automation, analytics and human expertise — rather than adding single tools to isolated tasks. Humain One is designed to automate work in areas including procurement, workforce management and compliance.
The deal builds on a collaboration announced last November that covered recruitment and skills development, tax and zakat filings, and accounting and audit. Financial terms and a launch date were not disclosed.
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The TASC Take AI is coming to back-office work such as payroll, HR administration and compliance — but the model being built is AI plus people, not AI alone. Start mapping which of your processes can be automated and which still need skilled, Saudisation-compliant teams, and choose partners who can deliver both. |
Source: Arab News
Ministry & Policy
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SR1.39trn planned government spending in 2027 |
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Finance has published its Pre-Budget Statement for 2027. It plans spending of about SR1,392 billion ($371 billion) against revenue of about SR1,202 billion, leaving a deficit of around 3.6% of GDP.
The statement is open about a tough 2026. Preliminary estimates show real GDP shrank 3.6% this year, with oil activities expected to fall about 21.8% amid economic and geopolitical developments. The non-oil economy kept growing, by about 3.2%, and reached 57.3% of GDP in the first half. Inflation is expected at about 2.1%. Non-oil revenue has risen from SR166 billion in 2015 to SR505 billion in 2025.
The government will cover the gap through local and international borrowing, and expand project, infrastructure and export-credit financing. Spending is projected to reach about SR1,544 billion by 2029.
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The TASC Take Spending is staying high after a hard year for oil, and the non-oil economy — where most private-sector hiring happens — is still growing. Expect funding to favour projects with clear returns. Plan headcount carefully and keep flexibility through contract staffing. |
Source: Arab News
Energy
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2,313.5MW capacity of the Rabigh 2 gas-fired plant, due in Q2 2029 |
ACWA Power has reached financial close on the Rabigh 2 power plant expansion in western Saudi Arabia. The project company, Al Morjan Two Electricity Co., secured SR9.69 billion ($2.58 billion) in financing on 1 October, with a term of about 34 years, according to a filing reported by Argaam.
The 2,313.5-megawatt combined-cycle, gas-fired plant will be built ready for carbon capture. ACWA Power holds a 40% stake. Lenders include Alinma Bank, Riyad Bank, SAB, SNB, HSBC Middle East and ICBC. The money will fund development, construction and operation.
The power purchase agreement, signed in April by ACWA Power and Saudi Energy Co. with the Saudi Power Procurement Company, is worth SR11.5 billion. Commercial operation is expected in the second quarter of 2029.
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The TASC Take A build of this size means peak demand for civil, mechanical and electrical crews over the next three years, then long-term operations staff. Contractors on Saudi power projects need to mobilise skilled workers quickly while meeting Saudisation and local-content rules on site. |
Source: Argaam
Real Estate
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8,000 homes Al Othaim plans across about 10 projects in two years |
Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Company has launched a new real estate arm, Al Othaim Developments. It plans to invest more than SR16 billion ($4.27 billion) in about 10 projects over the next two years, delivering about 8,000 residential units across several Saudi cities.
The projects will be mixed-use communities combining homes with hotels, shops, entertainment and offices. The first is The O Residence in Dammam. The plans were announced by Abdulmalik Abdullah Al Othaim, the company's vice chairman and CEO.
Demand for new homes is showing elsewhere too. This week, developer Alramz reported about SR670 million ($178.7 million) in day-one reservations for its 541-unit Masar Corner project in Makkah, from buyers in 51 countries, following new rules allowing property ownership by non-Saudis.
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The TASC Take Real estate pipelines create jobs in two waves: construction crews and project managers now, then property, facilities and retail teams once residents move in. With Saudisation tightening in engineering and project roles, developers should plan their Saudi hiring early. |
Source: TradeArabia
TASC in Saudi Arabia
Saudization in 2026: key hiring rules for employers
Saudisation targets, Qiwa contract documentation and job-title rules have all tightened this year — and enforcement on illegal hiring is stepping up. Our guide sets out what changed, what it means for your Nitaqat band, and how to stay compliant while you hire.
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