700,000 Saudis land private sector jobs in 4 just years

Cairo: Around 700,000 young Saudis have joined the kingdom’s private sector over the past four years, increasing the number of Saudi men and women employed in the sector from 1.7 million to 2.4 million, according to Minister of Human Resources Ahmed Al Rajhi.

He shared these figures on the sidelines of a recent global labour conference in Riyadh.

During the same period, women’s participation in the labour market rose from 20% to 36%, reflecting the kingdom’s ongoing efforts to empower women as part of broader economic reforms.

Saudi Arabia has implemented 80% of its labour market strategy, leading to a significant increase in youth participation, Al Rajhi said, as reported by Al Eqtisadiyah economic news portal.

In 2024, wages for Saudis in the private sector increased by 45%, and the sector accounted for 50.5% of all employed Saudi citizens, according to the Ministry of Human Resources. The number of Saudis in the private sector reached 2.4 million that year, including 361,000 first-time job entrants.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has launched multiple initiatives to boost employment for its nationals and replace expatriate workers in key sectors such as education, telecommunications, real estate, engineering, and healthcare.

This policy, known as “Saudization,” encourages private sector businesses to prioritize hiring Saudi citizens. Additionally, the kingdom is implementing a regional employment program to further expand job opportunities for its workforce.