Saudi Arabia’s labour market witnessed a number of “landmark achievements” during 2025, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
They include strong labour market growth with an estimated 2.5 million Saudis now employed in the private sector, while unemployment dropped to 7.5% in 2025, the Ministry reported in a statement.
Key developments through the year centred around Saudisation efforts, the advance of modern work models, and skills and training.
Saudisation drive: Over 30 decrees covering more that 600 professions were issued during 2025, raising Saudi employment across more key roles, such as engineering, accounting, pharmacy and dentistry.
Modern work models: The Ministry reported 700,000 flexible work contracts, 430,000 freelancers, and 200,000 remote work beneficiaries.
Skills & training: The ‘Waad’ campaign delivered 2 million training opportunities, while 60 workshops were held attracting 14,500 attendees.
To safeguard labour rights and streamline contractual relationships, the ‘Qiwa’ platform has now documented over 12 million employment contracts, the Ministry added.
It said these milestones underscore an “unwavering commitment to global leadership in human and community empowerment,” while simultaneously bolstering labour market competitiveness in line with the nation's Vision 2030.
Other measures implemented in 2025 include the ‘Professional Accreditation’ programme to bolster the quality of expatriate workers across 1,000 professions in 160 countries. To ensure that all incoming workers possess the necessary qualifications to meet Saudi market demands, the Ministry has established a global network of more than 200 professional examination centres, both within the kingdom and abroad.
On the regulatory front, the Ministry’s inspection teams also conducted over 1.2 million field visits to private sector establishments nationwide through the third quarter of 2025 to ensure adherence to labour laws and regulations.
Compliance with the Wage Protection System (WPS) has maintained an upward trend, the Ministry reported, hitting 94%, while the overall compliance rate among visited establishments reached approximately 93%. These figures reflect a growing awareness and commitment among employers toward achieving national Saudisation targets, it added.
The Ministry also extended home-based social care to over 650 people with disabilities, and provided financial subsidies to more than 460,000 individuals throughout 2025. To facilitate daily living and independence, it streamlined access to assistive technology, fulfilling over 30,000 medical device prescriptions via the ‘Wasfaty’ system for 14,000 beneficiaries.
