Point-of-sale transactions fell to SR14.6 billion in the week to 8 August from SR16.31 billion the week before, with transaction count down to 253.4 million from 267.1 million, Riyadh accounted for SR4.88 billion of it, or 33.4%. Food and beverages led at SR2.28 billion across 58.41 million transactions, ahead of restaurants and cafes at SR1.9 billion.
The data shows that average spending has gone down. In reality, it's still the same people going out just as often, but now they pick cheaper options when they get there.
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Fifty-seven studies, twelfth session
The Riyadh Economic Forum will hold its 12th session on 12–14 October 2026 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, with ministers, public and private sector specialists, academics and business owners participating. The forum has presented more than 57 economic studies over its history, many of which became government initiatives and decisions.
if you want policy input rather than policy news, October is the window. Submissions and positioning happen before the session, not during it, so start now.
What the 49% ceiling costs
Morgan Stanley estimates that raising Saudi Arabia's 49% foreign ownership ceiling to 75% would draw about $4.3 billion in passive inflows, and that removing the cap entirely would draw about $7.4 billion. Saudi Arabia is the last major Gulf market keeping a blanket 49% limit.
The difference between $4.3 billion and $7.4 billion represents the cost of fully removing the cap. Most passive funds are released when the ceiling is eliminated, rather than when it is raised to 75%.
Ninety-eight million pilgrims
Saudi Arabia hosted 98,053,017 pilgrims across fifty Hajj seasons from 1390 to 1439 AH, with 54.4 million of them in the last 25 years of that period and 19 seasons exceeding 2 million pilgrims. The 1447 AH season drew 1,707,301 pilgrims, of whom 1,546,655 came from abroad and 160,646 from inside the Kingdom, with 1,485,729 arriving by air, 54,429 by land and 6,497 by sea.
Arrivals are mostly international, so an airline planner adding Saudi capacity should schedule around the 1.5M who come from abroad rather than the 160K who do not.
