RIYADH: Saudi Arabia reported an increase in foreign direct investment inflows in the first quarter of 2026, rising 2.4 percent year on year to SR26.6 billion ($7.1 billion), according to official data.
In its latest FDI Statistics bulletin, the General Authority for Statistics, or GASTAT, added that FDI outflows rose 50 percent from a year earlier to SR3.52 billion during the three months to the end of March.
This left net FDI inflows down 2.4 percent annually at SR23.08 billion in the first quarter of the year.
The rise reflects the Kingdom’s broader efforts to attract long-term foreign capital under its Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to diversify the economy beyond oil revenues. Under the program, the country is targeting $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment by 2030.
The GASTAT bulletin defined foreign direct investment as one that “that reflects a long-term relationship and ongoing interest in economic entities residing in an economy other than the Saudi economy.”
It added: “This means that the foreign investor, individually or as a group of foreign investors, owns 10 percent or more of the voting power of shareholders’ equity, thus enabling them to exercise a degree of control or influence over the decision-making process to serve their interests.”
Saudi Arabia has continued to strengthen its investment environment through regulatory reforms, opening sectors including tourism, renewable energy, technology and logistics to greater foreign participation.
The reforms form part of Vision 2030, which aims to increase FDI’s contribution to gross domestic product from 3.8 percent to 5.7 percent while positioning the nation as a global investment hub.
The Kingdom has also introduced a new Investment Law to strengthen investor protections, simplify licensing procedures and ensure equal treatment for local and foreign investors, reinforcing efforts to attract international capital across strategic sectors.
