Saudi Arabia's Musanad platform reported that in H1 2026 the average domestic worker recruitment period was 50 days, at an average cost of SAR 6,681, with the service running across 39 countries. The platform handled more than 122,000 service transfer requests and more than 450,000 insurance contracts, working with approximately 6,164 approved external offices, and expanded wage payment channels to 16 digital options.
The state has made this market measurable, with transfers exceeding 122,000. Focus on preparing for customer transitions rather than prioritizing first-time recruitment.
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Money market funds stay home
The Capital Market Authority decided to require managers of public money market funds to ensure that investments and assets held outside Saudi Arabia do not exceed 5% of a fund's net asset value. All overseas investments must also be with counterparties holding an investment-grade credit rating issued by a licensed credit rating agency, according to a CMA circular to capital market institutions.
Limiting foreign exposure to 5% of net asset value means money market funds are mainly used for domestic funding. This change affects where riyal liquidity is held more than it changes what savers earn.
Ten billion and a December date
AWS is investing $10.3 billion in Saudi Arabia, including $5.3 billion (SAR 19.9 billion) in a cloud region with 3 independent availability zones launching in December 2026, and more than $5 billion in an AI zone with HUMAIN targeting 50 megawatts by 2028 and deploying up to 150,000 AI accelerators. AWS projects $191 billion of economic value from cloud services by 2033, will train 100,000 Saudi nationals including a free programme for 10,000 women, and is integrating curriculum at 11 Saudi universities.
This commitment applies to both general cloud services and AI. If you manage enterprise IT, plan your regular migration for the December launch instead of waiting for an AI project to justify the move.
Cards flat, phones compounding
Mobile payments in Saudi Arabia ran at SAR 13,100 a second in July, up from SAR 4,200 a second in July 2021 — a 210% rise across five years, and around SAR 34 billion for the month. Card sales came in at SAR 25.7 billion in the same month, up 0.3% year on year, while e-commerce set a record at SAR 37.6 billion, up 26%.
When pitching to Saudi merchants, payment infrastructure vendors should highlight the 26% e-commerce figure instead of focusing on the 0.3% card statistic. This growth is happening in an area where their buyers are not fully meeting demand.
