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Saudi Arabia is heading into 2026 with a confident, increasingly mature labour market shaped by economic stability, national transformation projects, and a strengthened supply of technical and professional talent. Across industries, from manufacturing and digital technology to HR, finance, and project management, organisations are planning for continued expansion but with more strategic discipline in how they allocate compensation budgets and recruit for high-demand roles.
Employers across the kingdom report sustained optimism supported by the IMF’s real GDP projections of around 4 per cent growth for both 2025 and 2026. Even as some regional markets recalibrated due to economic pressures, Saudi businesses maintained a steady approach to hiring and salary adjustments. Most organisations kept compensation stable through 2025, resulting in an average salary increase of 1.4 per cent entering 2026. Rather than representing stagnation, this marks a shift toward measured, capability-based salary planning.
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The tone for 2026 is clear: expansion continues, but more intentionally, more selectively, and more strategically aligned to Vision 2030 priorities.
Hiring intentions strengthen across key sectors
The labour market outlook is underpinned by solid demand expectations. Half of Saudi organisations plan to increase headcount in 2026, with another 17 per cent expecting growth above 10 per cent. Leadership teams show the strongest appetite for expansion, particularly in sectors aligned with national development goals, aviation, tourism, logistics, digital services, project delivery, and industrial operations.
Some organisations anticipate modest reductions due to margin pressures or operational restructuring, but these are exceptions within an overall climate of positive sentiment. The kingdom continues to differentiate itself from regional markets experiencing sharper contraction.
A defining feature of Saudi hiring trends for 2026 is the shift from broad recruitment drives toward strategic capability acquisition. Instead of hiring widely across functions, employers are focusing on high-impact roles that directly support transformation programmes, digital initiatives, industrial expansion, and financial governance.
A turning point: Talent supply strengthens and salary inflation stabilises
One of the most meaningful changes in Saudi Arabia’s labour market is the growing confidence in talent availability. 66 per cent of organisations believe the kingdom now has sufficient skilled professionals to meet their hiring needs, a remarkable shift compared to the talent shortages seen earlier in the decade.
The emergence of deeper local capability, alongside sustained participation of experienced expatriates, has eased pressure on compensation. Salary premiums are increasingly targeted, not universal, and reserved for areas where global or highly specialised recruitment remains necessary. These include:
- AI and advanced data science
- Cybersecurity
- Software engineering and digital transformation
- Industrial process engineering and technical manufacturing roles
- Senior finance, treasury, audit, and compliance leadership
- HR specialists in reward, analytics, and organisational culture
This evolution signals a more balanced labour ecosystem—one in which businesses can grow without relying on outsized salary escalations to attract scarce talent.
The manufacturing sector: A pillar of vision 2030 industrialisation
Leadership roles anchor expansion
Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector continues to be a central driver of non-oil economic growth. The Cooper Fitch Salary Guide KSA 2026 highlights strong compensation bands across industrial leadership and operational management roles.
Top executive salaries reflect the strategic weight of industrial output:
- Managing director: SAR104,000–142,000
- Operations director: SAR75,000–122,000
- Chief production officer: SAR72,000–90,000
- General manager: SAR55,000–88,000
- Head of R&D: SAR38,000–55,000
These roles steer large-scale industrial operations, manage productivity targets, and ensure strategic alignment with national industrial objectives.
Mid-management talent essential to process maturity
As factories modernise, middle management has become the operational engine room. Salary ranges reflect this enhanced responsibility:
- Operations manager / plant manager: SAR33,000–50,000
- Process innovation manager: SAR29,000–39,000
- Process development manager: SAR26,000–38,000
- Production manager: SAR29,000–36,000
- HSE manager: SAR24,000–36,000
- Quality manager: SAR28,000–35,000
- Maintenance manager: SAR21,000–31,000
These roles connect strategic goals with daily execution, ensuring factories achieve efficiency, safety, and output targets.
Technical specialists drive operational excellence
Specialist functions are increasingly vital as manufacturers adopt advanced production methods. Salary ranges include:
- Master black belt: SAR19,000–33,000
- Lean six sigma black belt: SAR17,000–24,000
- HSE engineer: SAR14,000–18,000
- Quality engineer: SAR14,000–17,000
- Process/manufacturing engineer: SAR13,000–16,000
Continuous improvement capabilities remain core to Saudi industrialisation, making these roles highly sought-after.
Engineering and supervisory roles provide day-to-day stability
The engineering workforce forms the backbone of production reliability:
- Production supervisor: SAR11,000–17,000
- Civil, design, maintenance, electrical, mechanical engineers: SAR10,000–17,000
Demand for these roles is expected to remain steady as manufacturing clusters expand and local supply chains mature.
Human resources: A strategic growth engine for organisational transformation
HR functions have gained significant strategic prominence as companies invest in capability development, nationalisation goals, and culture-building.
Top-tier HR leadership compensation
The Michael Page Salary Guide shows strong ranges for HR leadership:
- VP HR / CHRO: SAR80K–150K
- HR Director: SAR6K–100K
- HR Manager: SAR30K–45K
- HR Specialist: SAR18K–30K
CHRO roles are now central to enabling transformation, workforce planning, and organisational renewal.
Talent acquisition becomes core to business growth
Saudi employers increasingly view recruitment functions as high-value contributors:
- Head of talent acquisition: SAR50K–80K
- TA manager: SAR30K–45K
- TA specialist: SAR20K–30K
Demand continues to rise for specialists who can source digital, engineering, and leadership talent within competitive markets.
Learning and development, culture, compensation and benefits, and HR analytics gain influence
As organisations modernise, HR specialisations expand:
- Head of Learning and development: SAR60K–80K
- Learning and development manager: SAR40K–50K
- Head of reward/compensation and benefits: SAR60K–100K
- Compensation and benefits manager: SAR40K–55K
- Culture and engagement director: SAR50K–70K
- HRBP director: SAR45K–75K
- HRIS manager / HR Analytics roles: SAR35K–50K
These emerging roles reflect a more data-driven, capability-focused HR ecosystem.
Technology and digital: Saudi Arabia’s fastest-advancing talent sector
Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a regional technology hub continues to reshape its labour market. The Robert Walters Salary Survey identifies some of the highest salaries in the Kingdom across digital and technology leadership.
C-suite roles lead the market
- Group CIO: Dhs150k–200k
- Chief Strategy Officer (Digital): Dhs120k–150k
- CTO / CIO / Chief AI Officer / CDO: Dhs110k–150k
These roles guide enterprise-wide digital transformation agendas.
Specialised leadership rising in demand
- Chief Data Scientist: Dhs90k–130k
- CISO: Dhs85k–120k
- Chief Product Officer: Dhs70k–100k
- Digital Directors and Heads of Transformation: Dhs70k–90k
Strong demand is driven by cybersecurity maturity, data strategy, and digital operating-model redesign.
Mid-Senior roles anchor implementation
- Head of machine learning, head of product, enterprise architect, head of IT: Dhs50k–70k
These roles translate strategic digital goals into scalable enterprise ecosystems.
Finance and accounting: Strengthening governance and strategic control
The kingdom’s finance functions are maturing quickly, supported by tighter governance, enhanced compliance, and advanced reporting practices.
Senior finance roles among the kingdom’s highest paid
The Robert Walters Salary Survey highlights:
- Group CFO: Dhs130k–150k
- CFO / Regional CFO / Financial Director: Dhs80k–150k
- Head of Internal Audit: Dhs80k–140k
- Treasury and tax directors: Dhs70k–100k
These roles manage financial integrity, risk, and strategic planning.
Mid-level finance roles support organisational stability
- Treasury manager, controller, tax manager, internal audit manager, FPSA manager, finance manager: Dhs35k–55k
This tier ensures compliance, liquidity management, forecasting, and operational financial control.
A maturing, confident labour market positioned for 2026
Across sectors, the Saudi labour market entering 2026 is defined by:
- Measured salary growth
- Healthy hiring intentions
- An increasingly stable supply of skilled talent
- Targeted investment in niche capabilities
- Growing sophistication in HR, digital, finance, and industrial operations
- Strong alignment with Vision 2030 economic diversification priorities
Saudi Arabia is moving into a new phase of labour market maturity, one where sustainable growth, capability building, and strategic workforce planning take precedence over broad salary inflation.
As transformation programmes deepen across industries, the organisations that focus on structured skills development, culture, leadership pipelines, and targeted hiring will be the best positioned to drive the next stage of the kingdom’s economic evolution.
