From Test Market to Strategic Hub: How Multinationals Are Approaching Saudi Arabia in 2026
Our CEO, Roland Daher, sat down with Arab News to discuss how multinational companies are approaching Saudi Arabia in 2026 and what is driving them to deepen their commitments to the market.
Here’s a summary of key takeaways:
Saudi Arabia is increasingly becoming the market around which multinational companies structure their regional presence, rather than one they enter at a later stage. At least 7 in 10 multinational companies that AstroLabs engages with now identify Saudi Arabia as their first market in the region, underscoring both the scale of opportunity within the Kingdom and the clarity of its long-term direction.
That shift is visible in who is entering the market. More than half of the companies we support in Saudi now come from outside the MENAT region, spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia. As global companies become increasingly selective about where they deploy capital, the Kingdom continues to stand out. This is evident not only in the volume of entrants but also in their caliber.
Recent additions to the AstroLabs network include publicly listed companies such as SentinelOne, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), UiPath, Accesso, and Robert Walters, alongside institutions such as the London Business School and global brands, including Virgin Atlantic and Dolce & Gabbana. Construction and manufacturing companies AstroLabs has supported in Saudi grew by 70% between 2023 and 2025, while IT and software and media each saw growth of more than 50% over the same period.
The commitment those companies are making goes well beyond setup. Blacklane has expanded beyond Riyadh, launched EV chauffeur services through a partnership with TASARU, and opened a Chauffeur Training Academy. Fresha, which entered in 2021, now operates across multiple offices and supports thousands of salons. Systems Limited has grown to over 200 employees serving more than 90 customers across ministries, telecom, and energy.
As international companies increasingly engage with Saudi Arabia’s accelerating non-oil transformation, the effects are becoming clearly visible in the structure of the economy.
Active foreign investment licenses have grown from 6,000 in 2019 to 62,000 by the end of 2025, underscoring the scale of inflows into the non-oil economy, which now accounts for around 56% of GDP, up from 40% before Vision 2030. In parallel, more than one million jobs have been created, with a significant share filled by Saudi nationals.
The resilience of this activity is also becoming increasingly visible on the ground. Despite broader regional developments, companies are not changing their long-term strategies so much as adapting how they execute them. Etimad, Saudi Arabia’s government procurement platform, currently shows more than 2,500 active tenders, with roughly 200 new ones published daily across sectors, including IT, construction, healthcare, and automotive, a sign that the pipeline underpinning this investment momentum continues to expand.
For the full interview with AstroLabs CEO Roland Daher, as published by Arab News, click here