Saudi Mega Projects Draw Over $1 Trillion in Investment

Investment in Saudi Arabia's giga and mega projects continues to anchor the Kingdom's construction and infrastructure sectors, with combined announced investment estimated at about USD 1.1–1.3 trillion as of mid-2026. Annual active capital deployment is projected between USD 110 billion and USD 135 billion through 2028, keeping building activity strong across the country.

The Public Investment Fund's 2026–2030 strategy marks a shift toward a more returns-driven investor model, trimming new construction commitments from USD 71 billion to USD 30 billion. The focus is now on completing projects already under construction rather than launching new ones. By the end of June 2026, cumulative contracts awarded across the main giga projects reached about USD 92 billion, though only USD 4.5 billion in new awards were issued during the first half of the year — a sign of slower fresh contracting even as execution continues.

Contractor awards tied to giga and mega projects in 2026 are estimated at around USD 86.1 billion, with the buildings sector holding roughly 49% of that total. نيوم remains valued at over USD 500 billion, but about USD 6.85 billion in contracts were cancelled in March 2026, and large elements such as The Line have been suspended indefinitely, with a pivot toward AI data-centre infrastructure and smaller developments.

What it means for the community

القدية is among the most commercially active projects, with Six Flags opening in December 2025 and Aquarabia water park in April 2026, and completion targets around 2027–2028. البحر الأحمر and Amaala have moved to phased delivery. ROSHN, meanwhile, is building more than 400,000 housing units and employed about 142,000 workers across eight sites by early 2026, supported by new foreign property ownership rules introduced in January 2026. With roughly 3.4 million workers in the construction sector — about 92% of them expatriates — these projects remain a major driver of jobs and housing supply for residents.

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