RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources Development Fund contributed to the employment of 329,000 citizens in the first half of 2026, up 23 percent from the same period a year earlier, through its training, empowerment and career guidance programs.
The fund provided about SR4.9 billion ($1.3 billion) in direct support to individuals and businesses during the six-month period, and more than 1.69 million citizens benefited from its services and programs, according to a post from the organization on X.
The increase in HRDF-backed employment comes as the Kingdom continues to strengthen its labor market and expand opportunities for nationals.
Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate fell to 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from 3.5 percent in the previous quarter, while unemployment among Saudi nationals declined to 6.4 percent, according to GASTAT.
HRDF Director General Turki Al-Jawini said: “The fund continues to work through an integrated network of partnerships with government entities and private-sector establishments to develop more efficient and flexible support and empowerment solutions that help improve the readiness of Saudi men and women, enable them to access quality and sustainable job opportunities, and strengthen their participation in the labor market, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program.”
Support reach
The number of businesses receiving HRDF support exceeded 171,000, representing annual growth of 25 percent.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 95 percent of the total, according to the fund, which said its programs were intended to help private-sector companies recruit and train Saudi workers.
Labor market context
Some 95.8 percent of unemployed Saudis said they would accept a private-sector job offer, according to official data.
Unemployment among Saudi women declined by 1.3 percentage points from the previous quarter to 9 percent, while the rate among Saudi men fell by 0.7 percentage points to 4.9 percent.
Program development
Al-Jawini said the increase in beneficiaries and participating businesses reflected the fund’s efforts to adjust its programs to economic changes and the requirements of priority sectors.
He added that HRDF would continue developing its support system to strengthen national skills, raise labor productivity and contribute to the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Labor Market Strategy.
