Saudi Arabia's Business Confidence Index rose to 56.7 in August from 56.5 in July, holding above the 50-point neutral threshold, according to the General Authority for Statistics. The industrial sector's index climbed to 55.8 and the services index rose to 56.1, after the overall reading dropped to 52.1 in March amid regional tensions and rebounded to 54.5 in April.
Finance directors preparing Saudi budgets for next year should interpret the figure 56.7 as an indicator of continued customer spending expectations, while the March value of 52.1 reflects the pace of change in these expectations.
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Six hundred seventy-one million euros
The two headline fixtures of round 6 in the Roshn Saudi League carry combined squad values of €671.11 million on Transfermarkt data. Al-Qadisiyyah against Al-Ahli totals €347.73 million, Al-Ahli at €193.9 million and Al-Qadisiyyah at €153.8 million, a gap of €40.07 million, while Al-Hilal against Neom totals €323.38 million, with Al-Hilal at €239.8 million and Neom at €83.50 million. Total league squad values stand at €1.28 billion.
Most of the value is found in just a few squads, not spread evenly across the league. When you plan your sponsorship budget, focus more on the clubs that offer the most value instead of choosing league-wide packages.
AI use in Saudi Arabia doubled
The share of Saudi internet users using AI tools reached 45.2% in 2025, more than double the year before, per the CSTC's Saudi Internet Report, highest among 20–29 year-olds at 55.7%, and higher among women (52.8%) than men (39.4%). Business adoption reached 33.1% (up 20% year on year), led by information and communications at 61.1% and financial services at 52.9%.
Individuals are 12 points ahead of their employers in AI adoption, and 61.1% of information and communications firms are already using it. Sell capabilities now, because the buying committee is already using these tools personally, even where procurement hasn't caught up.
