Saudi Arabia transport sector attracts $75bn investments and adds 144,000 jobs

Saudi Arabia has secured investment contracts exceeding SR280bn ($74.7bn) in its transport and logistics sector, as structural reforms and infrastructure expansion continue to attract strong global and domestic interest, according to Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser.

Speaking at the Budget Forum 2026, Al-Jasser said the Kingdom’s integrated transport and logistics ecosystem is drawing significant private-sector commitments and enabling new business opportunities across aviation, rail, freight and warehousing.

He noted that the direct contribution of transport and storage activities to national GDP grew by 6.2 per cent this year, supported by expansion in logistics services and commercial air transport.

The air freight segment recorded a 34 per cent rise compared to the previous year, reaching 1.2 million tons and reinforcing the broader import–export system central to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification plans.

Saudi transport sector

Al-Jasser said the sector also achieved a 28 per cent increase in job creation in transport and warehousing by the end of the first quarter of 2025. This generated 144,000 new jobs and lifted the total workforce to nearly 651,000 employees.

On rail development, he highlighted continued progress across the network, including the acquisition of 10 new passenger trains for the Eastern Railway to meet rising demand and support ongoing economic and developmental expansion.

He added that transport and logistics remain a strategic enabler of sustainable growth. The expansion of logistics centres across the Kingdom reached 24 centres by 2025, further strengthening diversification across multiple sectors.