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%.
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Twenty-four thousand AI registrations
Saudi Arabia's commercial registrations in artificial intelligence reached 24,552 records, up 31% since 2025 and the fastest growth among Vision 2030 sectors, according to Ministry of Commerce data. Cybersecurity registrations reached 11,275, up 22%, virtual and augmented reality 13,853, up 21%, and e-commerce 52,241, up 9%, with the Kingdom having designated 2026 its Year of Artificial Intelligence.
A registration serves as a licence rather than a business. The fact that 24,552 registrations are increasing at a rate of 31% indicates that intent is developing much more rapidly than actual capability.
Kicking the maturities to 2041
NDMC redeemed SR17.1bn ($4.5bn) of 2026–2030 sukuk and issued SR17.2bn maturing to 2041, a liability-management exercise.
The takeaway: A state that manages its maturity curve shows confidence, indicating long-term projects your business might supply.
More jobs, slightly more jobless
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.
