Saudi Q1 2026: Spending Up 6.8%, Jobless Rate 6.4%

Fresh national data for the first quarter of 2026 shows consumer spending in Saudi Arabia climbing to about 425 billion riyals, an increase of 6.8% compared with the same period a year earlier. The figure combines point-of-sale (POS) transactions, cash withdrawals, and e-commerce activity across the Kingdom.

Within that total, POS spending reached roughly 189.7 billion riyals in the quarter, a 4.4% year-on-year rise. E-commerce recorded the sharpest growth, reaching about 98.4 billion riyals and jumping 42% compared with the first quarter of 2025 — a clear sign that online purchasing continues to gain ground among consumers in Riyadh, Jeddah, and beyond.

Unemployment falls

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate among Saudi nationals eased to 6.4% in the first quarter of 2026, down 0.8 percentage points from the previous quarter, though up a slight 0.1 point year-on-year. The overall unemployment rate for the total population, including non-Saudis, dropped to 3.1% from 3.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Breaking the Saudi figure down, unemployment among Saudi men stood at about 4.9%, while among Saudi women it was around 9.0%.

For residents and expats, these indicators offer a broad picture of the local economy: steady growth in household spending, a rapidly expanding digital retail market, and a labour market that is gradually tightening. The headline unemployment and consumer-spending numbers are descriptive economic indicators and are publicly available, with no fees, account registrations, or platform procedures attached to accessing them.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, events, sports updates, business insights, real estate and lifestyle stories on Saudi Living — the leading online platform for residents, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia.

Follow Saudi Living for daily updates:

• Instagram - @saudiliving
• X - @saudiliving
• Facebook - @saudiliving
• YouTube - @saudiliving