A vibrant society
Social infrastructure, effective services and quality of life.
Vision 2030 and investment
What the Vision changed for the arriving investor, in official figures.
Saudi Vision 2030, launched in 2016, is a plan to diversify the economy and give the private sector a larger role, and foreign investment is one of its main tools. Since 2021 the Kingdom has issued a National Investment Strategy, a new Investment Law, and incentive regimes for regional headquarters and special economic zones. This page sets out the figures and rules as official bodies publish them, with a source for every number.
Sources last read: 26 October 2026.
The three pillars
The Vision runs in three five-year phases; the third began in 2026. Foreign investment sits in the second pillar.
A thriving economy
Private-sector growth, attracting foreign direct investment, special zones, ease of doing business and non-oil exports.
An ambitious nation
An effective, transparent and accountable government.
The numbers investors watch
Baseline from the 2025 Annual Report (which uses revised data that sometimes differs from the pillar page), the 2030 target, and the latest official figure.
| Indicator | Baseline | 2030 target | Latest official figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private sector share of GDP | 44% | 65% | 51% (2025) |
| FDI as a share of GDP | 1.0% | 5.7% | 2.8% (2025, preliminary) |
| Net annual FDI flows | SAR 17bn (2019) | SAR 388bn | SAR 81.4bn (2025) |
| Non-oil exports as a share of non-oil GDP | 16.9% | 50% | 22.1% (2025) |
| Unemployment among Saudis | 12.3% (2016) | 7% | 6.4% (Q1 2026) |
| Investment (GFCF) as a share of GDP | 22% (2019) | 30% | about 28% (Q1 2026) |
| Regional headquarters of multinationals | 44 (2021) | No published official target | 700 (2025) |
| Companies with foreign investment | about 5,000 (2020) | No published target | about 55,000 (2025) |
FDI estimates change between preliminary and annual releases: 2025 inflows were first put at about SAR 136bn, and the annual GASTAT bulletin later reported SAR 159.1bn (net 81.4). Plan on the latest official release.
The programmes that changed the rules for foreign investors
National Investment Strategy
Targets net FDI of SAR 388bn a year and domestic investment of about SAR 1.7tn a year by 2030, and aims to raise investment from 22% to 30% of GDP, through four tracks: opportunities, investors, funding, and competitiveness and enablers.
Investment Law
It replaced the 2000 Foreign Investment Law, swapped licensing for registration with the Ministry of Investment, applies to local and foreign investors alike, and allows arbitration and mediation for disputes. The Ministry confirms registration within 10 working days of a complete file; the investor then obtains a commercial registration and any sector licences. Some activities remain prohibited or restricted under the list issued by the foreign investment review committee and published by the Ministry.
Regional Headquarters programme
0% corporate income tax and 0% withholding tax on qualifying activities for 30 years, renewable, subject to economic-substance requirements. Since 1 January 2024, government entities may not contract with foreign companies whose regional headquarters is outside the Kingdom, apart from defined exceptions (including works of up to SAR 1 million, and a technically best bid at least 25% cheaper than the second-best bid).
Special Economic Zones
Four zones: King Abdullah Economic City, Jazan, Ras Al-Khair and Cloud Computing. Qualifying income in the first three is taxed at 5% for 20 years, with withholding-tax exemption, zero-rated VAT under set controls, and suspended customs duties. In the Special Integrated Logistics Zone next to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, qualifying income is taxed at 0% for 50 years. Incentives depend on economic substance.
Sectors with the strongest pull
- NIS priority sectors: green energy, technology, healthcare and biotechnology, advanced mobility and logistics, and start-ups.
- Where FDI actually went in 2025: construction (21.7% of inflows), manufacturing (21.0%), and administrative and support services (14.1%).
- SEZ clusters: automotive, maritime, food manufacturing, life sciences and medical devices, and transport and logistics.
- Giga-projects and events drive tourism, entertainment, sports, real estate and construction: NEOM, the Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah, ROSHN, King Salman Park, Expo 2030 Riyadh and the FIFA World Cup 2034.
What this means for a company arriving now
1Ministry of Investment
Register before you license
A foreign investor registers with the Ministry of Investment before any activity, then obtains a commercial registration and sector licences. Check the prohibited and restricted activities and the conditions of your activity in the Investor Guide first (fully foreign-owned trading, for example, requires SAR 30 million in capital).
2Ministry of Finance · LCGPA
Decide where your regional headquarters sits if you sell to government
If your group has a regional headquarters outside the Kingdom, contracts with government entities have been restricted since 1 January 2024, apart from the defined exceptions.
3ZATCA
Incentives depend on real substance
Regional headquarters and zone exemptions require a physical office, staff and operating spend in the Kingdom or the zone, and a qualifying activity.
4GASTAT
Read every figure with its source and date
Plan on the latest official release and follow GASTAT's quarterly bulletins and the Ministry of Investment's monitor.
Official sources
- Saudi Vision 2030: A Thriving Economy: https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/overview/pillars/a-thriving-economy
- Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025: https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/media/ecdjfopq/vision2030_annual_report_2025_en.pdf
- Ministry of Investment: National Investment Strategy: https://misa.gov.sa/activities/national-investment-strategy/
- National Investment Strategy document: https://www.investsaudi.sa/documents/national-strategies/national-investment-strategy.pdf
- Bureau of Experts: Investment Law: https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/eda86cc3-3a00-4b90-900d-b1d000c8a863/1
- Ministry of Investment: Investment Law Implementing Regulations: https://misa.gov.sa/app/uploads/2025/06/THE-INVESTMENT-LAW-IMPLEMENTING-REGULATIONS.pdf
- ECZA: the four special economic zones: https://ecza.gov.sa/en/special-economic-zones
- ZATCA: SEZ tax and customs guide: https://zatca.gov.sa/ar/HelpCenter/guidelines/Documents/SEZ-Tax&Customs-Procedures.pdf
- ZATCA: Special Integrated Logistics Zone: https://zatca.gov.sa/en/HelpCenter/guidelines/Documents/The-Special-Integrated-Logistics-Zone.PDF
- ZATCA: Regional Headquarters guideline: https://zatca.gov.sa/en/HelpCenter/guidelines/Documents/Guideline-for-Regional-Headquarters-in-KSA.pdf
- SPA: government contracting and regional headquarters: https://www.spa.gov.sa/2191780
- GASTAT: Annual Foreign Direct Investment 2025: https://www.stats.gov.sa/documents/d/guest/annual-foreign-direct-investment-2025-en-pdf
- PIF: giga-projects: https://www.pif.gov.sa/en/our-investments/giga-projects/
- BIE: Expo 2030 Riyadh: https://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/news-announcements/world-expo/bie-general-assembly-grants-registration-to-world-expo-2030-riyadh