Just HOW big is the Saudi opportunity???

The Saudi Arabian construction industry has been valued at USD 70.33 billion as of 2024, with projection to grow to USD 90 billion by 2029.

Saudi is an ever growing opportunity for worldwide job seekers, and Brits in particular.?

It’s anticipated annual average growth rate from 2023-2026 is at 4% according to a report from Gulf Business. This projected surge in growth comes alongside higher investments into infrastructure projects such as renewable energy, transportation and many others in order to reduce its high dependency on oil.

The Kingdom is looking forwards at other sources of income for the economy to begin to take a diverse nature alongside developing its public service sector.?

The surge in infrastructure projects has led to the drastic increase in demand for skilled workers in construction. ?Grace Najjar, Project Management Institute’s regional managing director for the Middle East and North Africa region stated that the “Construction sector will see an increased demand for skilled professionals such as project managers, engineers, and architects.”?

This demand will have to be satisfied by international workers. According to Saudi Arabia’s business newspaper Al-Eqtesadiah, foreign workers already account for the largest proportion of labour in the sector, currently comprising around 85.4%, roughly 2.1 million workers.

In the UK, there has been a remarkable 293% year-on-year increase in online searches for construction jobs in Saudi Arabia. This drive stems from the desire to have a better quality of life but also to work on the World's biggest and most prestigious projects.

The key distinction between Saudi Arabia's oil and construction-driven growth and that of other nations or regions, particularly Dubai, is that Saudi Arabia's development is aimed at accommodating its growing population rather than being driven by speculative investment for future resale.?

A large majority of the vast projects which are in the works in Saudi Arabia are yet to reach beyond the planning stage,? meaning that the need for extensive design, architectural planning, and engineering will be apparent for years to come.?

To sum up, the opportunity for Construction professionals, particularly those hailing from the UK, is almost limitless and the move across would likely result in the chance to work on the types of projects that simply do not exist elsewhere. And of course, with salaries dwarfing those in Europe, it is likely to become a path well trodden.

Brandon James and our Middle East company Samuel James, have a strong network of Construction Consultancy and Contractor clients in the region and are ideally placed to help anyone looking to make the move.?