Quality of Life Program Surpasses Targets, Generates More Than SAR 78 Billion in Economic Impact in 2025 - Business Today Middle East
Saudi Arabia’sQuality of Life Program, one of the flagship initiatives supporting Vision 2030, has unveiled its2025 Annual Report, highlighting significant progress across multiple sectors and exceeding. . .
Saudi Arabia’sQuality of Life Program, one of the flagship initiatives supporting Vision 2030, has unveiled its2025 Annual Report, highlighting significant progress across multiple sectors and exceeding several key performance targets. The report outlines the program’s role in advancing national development, enhancing public services, and improving living standards throughout the Kingdom. The program generated an economic contribution ofmore than SAR78 billionto Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP), outperforming its target ofSAR77. 1 billionfor the year. Non-government investments supported by the initiative reachedSAR21. 8 billion, while the local content rate climbed to44%, well above the planned 37%. Employment also continued to grow, with the program contributing to the creation of387,000 jobs, representing an annual increase of6. 35%. A major milestone in 2025 was the launch of theGlobal Quality of Life Index, which has attracted participation from over90 cities across 35 countries. The index has since been integrated into the strategic framework of theUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), strengthening Saudi Arabia’s international leadership in urban development and providing policymakers worldwide with a benchmark for improving city living standards. The report also highlighted progress in urban development. TheSaudi Architecture Characters Map, introduced under the direction of Crown Prince and Prime MinisterPrince Mohammed bin Salman, established19 distinct architectural stylesinspired by the Kingdom’s cultural and geographical diversity. The initiative is designed to preserve Saudi architectural identity while encouraging modern, locally inspired design. Public satisfaction with municipal services also rose to85%, comfortably exceeding the year’s target of 74%. Supporting urban investment, theFurasplatform connected49 government entitieswith private investors by offering more than19,000 investment opportunities. Contracts facilitated through the platform generated returns exceedingSAR9 billion, demonstrating the growing effectiveness of public-private partnerships. Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector maintained its strong momentum during the year. More than32 million domestic and international visitorstravelled across the Kingdom during the Saudi Summer season, marking a26% increasecompared with the previous year. Tourism spending surpassedSAR53. 2 billion, reflecting annual growth of15%. Internationally, Saudi Arabia rankedfirst worldwidefor growth in international tourism receipts during the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2019, according to theUN Tourism World Tourism Barometer. The Kingdom also recorded a102% increasein international visitor arrivals over the same period, significantly exceeding the global average growth of3%and the Middle East’s regional average of44%. These results positioned Saudi Arabia as thethird-ranked destination globallyandsecond in the regionfor international tourism growth. The entertainment sector also expanded considerably, with954 licensed entertainment venuesoperating across the Kingdom and40 major entertainment eventstaking place during the year. Workforce development remained a priority, with more than42,000 participantsbenefiting from training programmes across10 cities. The sector also supported innovation by incubating33 startupsand assisting110 businessesthrough financing and loan guarantee initiatives. In culture, Saudi Arabia inaugurated thePrince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphyin Madinah and opened theRed Sea Museumin Historic Jeddah, further strengthening the country’s cultural infrastructure. Cultural event activity exceeded expectations, reaching6,314 event days, more than double the annual target of 3,010 days. Meanwhile, the number of accessible national heritage sites increased to232, achieving the program’s planned objective. The sports sector also recorded notable progress, with59. 1% of adultsparticipating in regular physical activity, surpassing the target of 55%. More than230,000 peoplealso engaged with theSports for Allplatform, which now hosts over9,000 sports groups, reflecting growing public participation in healthy lifestyles. In public safety, the Kingdom opened theUnified Security Operations Center (911)in Madinah, the fourth facility of its kind nationwide. The centre consolidates operations from28 control roomsinto a single integrated system, improving coordination among security, government and emergency service agencies. According to the report, the achievements recorded during 2025 demonstrate continued progress toward the objectives of the Quality of Life Program while strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in urban development, sustainability, tourism, and quality of life under the Vision 2030 framework.