Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 drives record private-sector jobs, lower unemployment and higher female participation

Saudi Arabia has reported major changes in its labour market nearly a decade after launching Vision 2030, with private-sector employment among Saudi nationals reaching a record 2.6 million and national unemployment falling to 7.2 per cent.

The figures are part of the latest Vision 2030 Annual Report, which assesses progress since the economic and social transformation programme was launched in April 2016. The programme seeks to reduce the Kingdom’s reliance on oil while building a more diversified and knowledge-based economy.

The labour market has emerged as a key area of change. Employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector has risen from 1.7 million in 2020 to 2.6 million, while the national unemployment rate has declined from 12.3 per cent in 2016 to 7.2 per cent.

Small and medium-sized enterprises have also expanded their employment footprint. SMEs now employ 8.88 million people, exceeding the 2025 target of 7.55 million.

Female participation in the labour force has increased substantially during the Vision 2030 period. It now stands at 35 per cent, compared with 22.8 per cent before the programme began, putting the Kingdom closer to its 2030 target of 40 per cent.

Women account for 43.9 per cent of middle and senior management positions, pointing to a broader shift in their participation beyond workforce entry and towards leadership roles.

The report also says employment among people with disabilities who are able to work has reached 14.7 per cent, above the interim target of 13.4 per cent.

Volunteer participation has similarly expanded, with more than 1.74 million volunteers recorded across the Kingdom. That figure has surpassed the Vision 2030 target of one million five years ahead of schedule.

The report points to changes in the transition from education to employment. The share of technical and vocational education graduates securing jobs within six months has risen to 47.41 per cent, compared with 13.9 per cent before the reforms.

More than 90 university partnership programmes have also been developed through the MicroX initiative, reflecting efforts to strengthen links between education providers and employers.

Housing has been another area of progress, with the national homeownership rate reaching 66.24 per cent, above the government’s 2025 target of 65 per cent.

Beyond employment, the report highlights improvements in healthcare and wider quality-of-life indicators.

Average life expectancy reached 79.7 years in 2024, close to the Vision 2030 target of 80 years. Healthcare services now cover 97.5 per cent of population clusters, while the number of nurses has increased to 863.4 per 100,000 people, up from 581.6 in 2019.

The report also records a 50 per cent decline in deaths linked to infectious diseases and a 40 per cent reduction in deaths from chronic diseases. It says 70 per cent of cancer cases are now detected at an early stage.

Meanwhile, 59.1 per cent of adults are reported to complete at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.

Vision 2030 has also accelerated investment in sectors outside traditional oil-related activity, particularly tourism, sport, entertainment and culture.

As Vision 2030 approaches its 10-year mark, the government says the next phase will focus less on establishing the foundations of transformation and more on sustaining the gains already made.

For the labour market, that means maintaining employment growth, increasing workforce participation and improving pathways from education into jobs. The wider agenda is centred on continuing economic diversification while improving living standards for citizens and residents.

“The next phase of Vision 2030 will focus on sustaining social progress, expanding opportunity, enhancing wellbeing and ensuring citizens and residents continue to benefit from the Kingdom’s transformation,” the report states.