Saudi consumer prices rose 1.8% year on year in August 2026, driven by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels up 3.9%, transport up 2.0% and food and beverages up 1.4%, with the index up 0.1% on the month and the Wholesale Price Index up 4.6%; it is the fourth consecutive month at 1.8%. GASTAT published July's Producer Price Index the same day: producer prices rose 5.3% year on year, with the index at 108.1 points against 102.7 a year earlier.
For four months, consumer prices have stayed at 1.8% while producer prices have risen to 5.3%. This means the economy is protecting households from higher costs, but the extra expenses are showing up elsewhere.
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Sixteen countries become twenty-four
The Riyadh-based Digital Cooperation Organization approved 8 countries as membership candidates — Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Zambia — with Tajikistan approved as an associate member, taking the organization from 16 members to 24 on accession and covering roughly 980 million people, about 12% of the global population. The DCO launched in 2020 with 5 founding countries and is working to a 2025–2028 agenda.
The expansion from 5 founding countries in 2020 to 24, now representing approximately 12% of the global population, demonstrates that standards are being set collectively. The rules on data and cross-border digital trade are determined by those who participate.
Two thousand now, thirty thousand later
Expo Riyadh 2030 has nearly 2,000 people on site, expected to rise to between 20,000 and 30,000 by the end of next year. The 6 million square metre site across 5 districts is expected to host 197 nations and 29 organisations and draw more than 42 million visits, opening on 1 October 2030 and running through March 2031. Organisers said they see no anticipated issues over the next 6 to 8 months as the war tests supply lines.
Labour and local sourcing are the main challenges, not capital. If you work with the construction sector, focus on building your domestic supply credentials before the workforce grows to 20,000 or 30,000 people.
A million robo-managed portfolios
Assets managed through robo-advisory services in Saudi Arabia reached SAR 9.9 billion at the end of Q2 2026, up 128% year on year and SAR 2.08 billion (26.6%) on the quarter. The number of portfolios passed one million for the first time, reaching 1.05 million, up 161% in a year, with average assets of around SAR 9,500 each; eight fintech companies hold CMA robo-advisory licences.
With assets reaching SAR 9.9 billion after 128% growth, robo-advice is now a mainstream channel rather than a niche. Bank heads of wealth need to decide whether to build, partner, or buy before the eight licensees determine pricing.
