Saudi Arabia

Economy & industry overview

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter and home to Saudi Aramco, the most profitable publicly listed corporation globally; hydrocarbons account for roughly 70% of government revenues and nearly half of GDP. The Kingdom is executing Vision 2030, an ambitious diversification programme targeting tourism, entertainment, logistics, mining, and technology to reduce oil dependency. The financial sector is large and sophisticated, with a well-developed Islamic banking market anchored by Al Rajhi Bank, the world's largest Islamic bank by market capitalisation. The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) is the Arab world's dominant equity market, with a total market capitalisation of approximately USD 2.72 trillion at end-2024. The non-oil private sector has been the primary driver of recent growth, expanding meaningfully in 2024 even as overall real GDP growth was modest at 1.3%.

Key sectors

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Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$1.11T
GDP growth real, annual	1.3%
Inflation annual	1.6%
Population people	33.7M
GDP per capita USD	$35,230
Market cap total listed, USD	$2.72T
Market cap / GDP	245.0%
Unemployment	3.5%
Listed companies	247
Exchange	Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) (TADAWUL)

Data year: 2024. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook 2025, World Bank Open Data, General Authority for Statistics Saudi Arabia (GASTAT), Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) Annual Statistical Report 2024, S&P Global / Arab News market cap analysis 2025, Trading Economics, Macrotrends, Statista, Wikipedia – Economy of Saudi Arabia, Wikipedia – Saudi Exchange.

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Saudi Exchange (Tadawul)
Code	TADAWUL
Website	www.saudiexchange.sa
Currency	SAR

Local broker access

Direct retail access to the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) by non-resident foreigners remains restricted. Foreign Qualified Financial Institutions (QFIs) meeting CMA Saudi Arabia eligibility criteria may invest directly. Most international retail investors gain exposure via US-listed ETFs, particularly KSA (iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF) and regional EM ETFs. A small number of international brokerage platforms offer direct Tadawul access to eligible non-Saudi retail investors through local sub-custodian arrangements. Local brokers operating on Tadawul include Al Rajhi Capital, SNB Capital, Albilad Investment, and HSBC Saudi Arabia, among others regulated by the Capital Market Authority (CMA).

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only. Not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Saudi Arabia has significantly reformed its expatriate residency system. The Premium Residency programme allows qualifying individuals to live, work, and own property without employer sponsorship. The Kingdom has relaxed entertainment, social, and business regulations substantially since 2017 under Vision 2030 reforms. Income tax is not levied on individuals. A VAT of 15% applies to most goods and services. Cost of living in Riyadh and Jeddah has risen but remains lower than comparable Gulf hub cities. Arabic is the official language; English is widely used in business.