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The General Authority for Statistics reported that foreign direct investment inflows into Saudi Arabia reached SR159.1 billion in 2025, a 33.5 percent increase from SR119.2 billion the previous year. Net FDI flows rose 1.7 percent to SR81.4 billion while the total FDI stock expanded 8.3 percent to SR1.0588 trillion by year end, according to the authority’s figures released this week. The authority’s data also placed FDI outflows at SR77.7 billion, nearly double the SR39.2 billion recorded in 2024.
Construction activities attracted the largest share of inflows at SR34.5 billion, equivalent to 21.7 percent of the total, a GASTAT assessment found. Manufacturing followed with SR33.4 billion or 21 percent while administrative and support services contributed SR22.4 billion for 14.1 percent of the 2025 inflows. The authority’s breakdown showed these three sectors accounted for the bulk of new foreign capital entering the kingdom last year.
On the outflows side the authority’s report listed manufacturing as the top category with SR25.2 billion or 32.4 percent of the total. Construction ranked second at SR14.8 billion representing 19 percent followed by wholesale and retail trade including motor vehicle repair at approximately SR11 billion or 14.1 percent. These outflows nearly doubled year on year according to the same GASTAT data.
The authority’s figures placed Luxembourg as the largest source of net inflows with SR24.4 billion followed by the United Arab Emirates at SR9.4 billion during 2025. Saudi Arabia’s inflows last year stood five times higher than 2017 levels while the FDI stock has doubled over the same period, GASTAT data shows. Compound annual growth reached 24 percent for inflows and 10 percent for the stock between 2017 and 2025.
An updated Investment Law that entered into force in February 2025 has streamlined procedures and strengthened investor protections, Arab News reported in its coverage of the statistics. The Regional Headquarters Program offers incentives for multinational companies to base operations in the kingdom as part of broader efforts to diversify the economy. Government data indicates the 2025 inflows represented about 42 percent of the annual target of $100 billion by 2030 under the Vision 2030 framework.
