Education sector leads weekly POS surge with 666% value spike despite overall drop
Spending on transportation increased by 28.7%
Construction and building materials saw a 25.6% uptick
Updated 25 June 2025
Nadin Hassan
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending in the education sector saw a weekly rise of 666 percent to reach SR193.26 million ($51.53 million) by June 21, according to official data.
The latest figures from the Saudi Central Bank, known as SAMA, also showed the number of POS transactions in the sector nearly doubled, climbing by 98.1 percent, indicating a significant rebound in consumer activity in this segment.
This sharp increase in educational spending came despite a 1.5 percent decline in the total value of POS transactions across the Kingdom, which dropped from SR11.1 billion to SR10.9 billion over the same period.
The weekly data further showed that transaction values rose in several other sectors, although none matched the scale of growth seen in the education division.
Spending on transportation increased by 28.7 percent, while construction and building materials saw a 25.6 percent uptick in value.
Telecommunication and health sectors both posted gains of 4.8 percent and 16.8 percent, respectively.
The electronics and electric devices segment recorded a 16.8 percent rise in spending value, and the furniture sector grew by 4.4 percent.
Slight increases were also observed in the public utilities and miscellaneous goods and services sectors, which grew by 3.5 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.
However, several categories experienced downturns. The largest declines in transaction values were reported in the hotels and recreation and culture sectors, which fell by 9.1 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively.
Regionally, Riyadh remained the top city for POS spending, logging over SR3.91 billion in transactions, a 9.1 percent increase from the previous week. Dammam and Khobar also recorded gains, with spending in Dammam up by 8.4 percent and in Khobar by 5.1 percent.
Cities such as Makkah and Madinah recorded double-digit declines, down by 24.2 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively, in total POS transaction values.
Jeddah maintained a steady performance, with spending remaining flat at SR1.6 billion, while Tabuk saw a slight uptick of 3 percent in value.
Spending in restaurants and cafes dropped by 12.8 percent, while beverage and food transactions declined by 7.2 percent.
Jewelry purchases also contracted by 12.8 percent, and clothing and footwear fell by 7.2 percent. Other sectors, such as gas stations and the category, also saw declines of 5.1 percent.
Overall, the total number of POS transactions across all sectors dipped slightly by 0.6 percent week on week, totaling just over 202.5 million transactions during the reporting period.
Artificial intelligence is transitioning into a ‘digital employee’
AI can be an effective tool, business leaders tell Arab News
Not about jobs, but ‘convergence of human capital and AI’
Updated 27 February 2026
Hebshi Alshammari
RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the world of work, transitioning from a supporting tool to an active partner that is radically changing the nature of professions and productivity standards.
Amidst the current global transformations, an active regional digital environment is emerging.
This is being led by Saudi Arabia through Vision 2030 and massive investments in smart infrastructure, providing a living model for studying the implications of this partnership between humans and machines on the future of work in the region.
Arab News spoke to various business leaders about the emerging shape of the sector.
Salem Bagami, co-founder of Metatalent, said the ideal relationship between humans and machines at work should be complementary and collaborative.
Humans would bring creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex decision-making, while machines excel at processing big data and performing repetitive, precise tasks.
He believes that this type of balanced partnership would lead to unprecedented productivity and innovation.
While machines excel at processing big data and performing repetitive, precise tasks, humans would bring creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex decision-making. (Supplied)
Mohammad Al-Jallad, chief technologist and director at HPE, said AI has gone beyond being merely an executive tool to becoming a “digital employee” entrusted with automating routine tasks and providing insights based on data analysis.
He believes that the real opportunity lies not in the debate over job replacement, but in “the convergence of human capital and artificial intelligence.”
AI should augment human teams by taking on menial and routine tasks, enabling employees to focus on critical thinking, creativity, and ethical reasoning, significantly improving operational results.
Bagami also emphasized the complementary nature of this partnership. “The ideal relationship between humans and machines at work is one of collaboration, where each complements the others.”
He explained that humans bring creativity, emotional intelligence, and nuanced decision-making, while machines excel at processing big data and performing repetitive tasks efficiently, leading to increased productivity and innovation.
Opinion
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Salem Alanazi, chairman of Jathwa Technology Co., notes a significant trend among Saudi Arabia companies toward using AI applications to provide faster services to customers at lower costs.
The emergence of the “virtual employee” available around the clock has eliminated the need for some traditional jobs in specific sectors.
Alanazi warns that some companies’ reluctance to adopt AI may expose them to real risks. “All those who hesitated to benefit from AI applications have a lack of understanding of these technologies.”
He said those who adopt these technologies will be able to offer lower-cost, higher-quality services, which will affect the market position of companies that lag behind.
Ali Aljumhour, CEO of VALUE Consultancy, said that the transition of AI into a partner has reshaped the list of most in-demand skills in the job market.
Skills such as “prompt engineering,” “human-machine integration,” and “digital ethics” are becoming increasingly important.
He added that AI has become an instantly available “technical knowledge base,” shifting the criteria for professional distinction toward those capable of smart interaction with these technologies.
In terms of ethics, transparency, and trust, Alanazi points to the complexities of global AI governance, where legislation overlaps and evolves rapidly to keep pace with potential risks, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and privacy.
Ali Aljumhour, CEO of VALUE Consultancy. (Supplied)
Al-Jallad emphasizes this crucial dimension, noting that providing responsible and reliable AI solutions that meet the highest standards of transparency is a key priority, especially in regulated sectors.
Bagami believes there should be basic standards for the ethical use of Al, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and fairness, along with using diverse data sets to prevent bias and protect privacy.
He believes that building trust between humans and machines requires clear explanations of how systems work, giving users the opportunity to provide feedback and conducting periodic performance reviews.
On performance evaluation, Aljumhour said: “I expect radical changes in standards, shifting from measuring individual effort to evaluating the quality of the partnership between humans and machines.”
There should be a focus on the quality of inputs provided to intelligent systems, the accuracy of review and modification, and complex decision-making based on outputs.
He warns, however, of new risks that may arise, such as over-reliance on AI or difficulty in determining responsibility for mistakes.
In the employment sector, Aljumhour expects fundamental changes in standards.
There will be questions and tests focusing on measuring skills in dealing with AI, such as asking candidates about their experiences of collaborating with these systems, or testing their ability to formulate effective requests for complex tasks.
Aljumhour identifies significant human challenges in this transition, with “fear, loss of power, and exclusivity of knowledge” being the biggest concerns for experienced employees.
