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Saudi Arabia Leads G20 with Booming Job Market Performance

People attend a job fair organized by the Human Resources Development Fund. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
People attend a job fair organized by the Human Resources Development Fund. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Leads G20 with Booming Job Market Performance

People attend a job fair organized by the Human Resources Development Fund. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
People attend a job fair organized by the Human Resources Development Fund. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in increasing employment and modernizing work patterns in recent years. As a result, the Kingdom led the G20 in workforce participation rates from 2016 to 2021, driven by a strong local market.

According to recent data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the unemployment rate for Saudis fell to 7.6% in early 2024, down from 7.8% at the end of 2023. This brings it closer to the Vision 2030 goal of 7%.

A new report from the National Labor Observatory showed Saudi Arabia’s workforce participation rose from 55% in 2016 to 61.2% in 2021, the highest increase among G20 countries. Japan followed with a smaller increase of 2.2 percentage points.

The report noted that female workforce growth in Saudi Arabia was 5.5%, significantly higher than Australia’s 2.1% and other G20 nations. Male workforce growth was 1.7%, ahead of Australia’s 1.5% and other G20 countries.

Saudi Arabia’s workforce is growing due to several factors: initiatives promoting female participation, a large young population, and strong economic growth.

For people aged 25 and older, Saudi Arabia’s workforce participation rate is 70%, second only to Indonesia’s 72%.

The report also showed Saudi Arabia has the second-highest male workforce participation rate in the G20, following Indonesia.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia is one of the top ten G20 countries for employment, with a rate of 57%. The Kingdom has also achieved the highest increase in female employment, rising by 10% from 2016 to 2021. Male employment remains high at 76%.

The National Labor Observatory credits this growth to targeted strategies for developing skills, aligning education with job market needs, and supporting job creation and localization.

Additional factors include preparing workers for technological changes, promoting modern work options, like remote and flexible jobs, and improving support programs, such as income assistance and social protection.

Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that new policies and programs have significantly improved the Saudi labor market, increasing opportunities for both citizens and residents.

Badr Al-Anzi, a board member of the Saudi Human Resources Society, told Asharq Al-Awsat that new work options like remote and flexible jobs have helped many people join the workforce.

Recent government regulations, including new rules for flexible work, are expected to further increase employment and support the Kingdom’s future goals.

Al-Anzi noted that the latest changes in flexible work regulations are part of ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to review rules, support businesses, protect workers, and make the job market more flexible and appealing.

He added that the government’s focus on creating more job opportunities and providing additional work options has led to higher workforce participation, helping Saudi Arabia top the G20 in employment rates from 2016 to 2021.

Majd Al-Mohamade, former vice president of the national labor committee, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia leads the G20 in workforce participation, and that this success is attributed to its attractive job market and modern work patterns, which draw in more talent.

Al-Mohamade also noted that the arrival of foreign companies and their establishment of regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia has created new job opportunities and attracted skilled workers.

He praised initiatives from the Human Resources Development Fund that encourage the private sector to hire local talent.

He added that ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to localize various professions are boosting job availability and helping lower the unemployment rate.

Job growth in the tourism sector and increased employment for women are major factors contributing to the overall decrease in unemployment rates, including a significant drop in female unemployment, he remarked.

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Business

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.