Unemployment among Saudis rose to 6.5% in Q2 2026 from 6.4% in Q1, according to GASTAT's Labour Force Survey released on 30 September, down from 6.8% in Q2 2025. In the same quarter, Saudi employment in the private sector rose 2.2% to a record 2.65 million, adding 56.5 thousand jobs in three months.
Both unemployment and private-sector hiring increased during the same quarter, indicating that the headline rate reflects not only job demand but also the influx of new Saudi job-seekers.
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Households borrow a record
Loans to individuals hit a record SAR 1.472 trillion at the end of August, per SAMA data. That is up SAR 38.01 billion (2.65%) since end-2025 and 3.85% year on year, and the 14th straight monthly rise. Individuals now account for 42.49% of total bank credit of SAR 3.464 trillion.
For fourteen months in a row, households have kept borrowing even as the economy slows down, and banks continue to approve their loans.
Twenty-five thousand delegates
Riyadh hosts the 25th WPC Energy Congress from 11 to 15 October at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, the first time Saudi Arabia has held it, with more than 25,000 delegates expected alongside 100 energy ministers, 500 chief executives, 800 speakers and 1,000 companies across more than 50,000 square metres of exhibition space. The congress falls against projected global energy investment of $3.4 trillion in 2026, of which about $2.2 trillion is directed to clean energy, grids, storage and efficiency.
The primary value is access, not exhibition. Suppliers planning to attend should focus their week on engaging with the 500 chief executives rather than on their exhibition stand.
Ad money grows up
A Snap–Kearney study found an 8-point gap between Saudi digital ad-spend growth and e-commerce growth; 30%+ of Saudi consumers find advertising culturally off-key.
The takeaway: A third of Saudi consumers feel that the ads don't represent them; the biggest growth driver isn't budget, but rather cultural fluency.
