Saudi Arabia accounted for approximately 93% of e-commerce investments across the GCC countries by 2025, up from 46% in 2021. E-commerce penetration in the Gulf retail sector stands at 11%.
Saudi Arabia has about 93% of the region's e-commerce investment, but with only 11% market penetration, it is receiving funding for online shopping that has not happened yet.
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Saudi carries half of Gulf tourism
Saudi Arabia's travel and tourism sector contributed $178 billion to the economy in 2025, 46% of the entire Middle East's travel and tourism economy, growing 7.4%, nearly double the global rate of 4.1%, with international visitor spending up 8.2% against a 3.2% global rate.
Nearly half of the entire region's tourism economy now lies in Saudi Arabia, growing at twice the global rate, a shift large enough that the map of Middle Eastern travel needs to be redrawn before the guidebooks catch up.
PIF's $2.4 billion half
Lucid announced $1.4 billion in identified cost cut as H1 2026 losses widened 50% to $2.4 billion from $1.6 billion a year earlier. H1 production was 10,274 vehicles against a full-year target of 25,000–27,000. Shares fell 9% after the announcement.
The second half now needs to roughly double the first, and $1.4 billion in cuts does not close a $2.4 billion gap on its own, production is the real test here, not the balance sheet.
Ten billion in Paris
Deals expected to be signed between Saudi and French entities at the Saudi–French Roundtable Investment Meeting in Paris exceed $10 billion, spanning advanced industries, transport and logistics services, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. The Crown Prince attended alongside French officials and business leaders.
ُhe four named sectors are advanced industries, logistics, AI and digital infrastructure، energy is not among them, which is what a diversification agenda looks like once it reaches the deal table.
