Expats seeking to nail one of the 19+ future jobs in Saudi Arabia must first exhibit a verifiable working experience. Due to a prohibitive policy, The Kingdom doesn’t take fresh graduates to fill in their skill shortage.
That, and fewer job vacancies for females, are the only inconvenience foreigners contend with. There’s also the little matter of a highly conservative dress code especially for the ladies, and a patriarchal Arab culture.
Oh … pack lots of sunscreen for those incinerating daytimes. Take a short course in sandstorm sheltering drills, too.
Otherwise, the cradle of Islam is an employee’s paradise, both now and in the future.
Do Saudi Employers Pay Well?
Saudi Arabian employers pay top dollar.
The Ministry of Labour set the minimum wage at 4,000 SAR in April 2021. On average, headhunted expats earn between 25,000 and 30,000 SAR per month, which is more than modest for a family of 4 living in the two main cities of Riyadh or Jeddah.
For these 19+ jobs I’ll discuss in this article, the paycheck starts at 10,000 Riyals per gig. Nobody is in a hurry to set the maximum wage, so your expertise is the only limit.
Will My Salary be Taxed?
Expat salaries aren’t subjected to domestic tax. Instead, most employers will dangle benefits like a comprehensive medical cover, decent accommodation, and transport to and from work.
Generous companies hire chefs or give food allowances. To reel in jobseekers, they may even pay a return air ticket for the annual leave!
Leave days are legislated at 21 working days annually. One working week consists of six days or 48 work hours. Depending on your posting, there’s paid overtime to supplement your salary.
Let’s go grab those Arabian vacancies!
The Diversification of a Traditionally Oil-Fed Economy
Saudi’s Vision 2030 plans to wean the vast gulf nation off its conventional oil-and-gas driven economy. In this revolutionary strategy, the government set out deliberate steps in creating a vibrant, diverse economy.
The monarchy wishes to create a thriving and tolerant society. The ambitious renaissance of the whole nation is taking shape fast and churning out futuristic jobs even faster.
Sectors to Keep an Eye on
Healthcare, communication information technology, sustainable energy, education, finance, and construction sectors are constantly recruiting.
If you’re looking for the most on-demand jobs in Saudi Arabia in 2024 and beyond, you may also want to consider mining and logistics.
The Renaissance Starts at School!
Learning institutions such as Rowad Al Khaleej International Schools understand future employees will need special skills. They’ve therefore dedicated departments that train young Saudis to be job-ready in health, human resource, finance, and construction sectors.
Many other schools are taking learners through competency-based majors. Before choosing a career path for your child, ensure it’s commensurate with what they’re good at.
Discuss the various study programs and available advancement options with your children, then enroll them in any of the disciplines below.
The Most Powerful Future Jobs in Saudi Arabia
The list below doesn’t follow any specific hierarchy. I’ve clustered the jobs into their general categories so that you may quickly find your pick.
The clusters below may contain many more jobs that align perfectly with Saudi’s Vision 2030. The list I offer is nowhere near exhaustive.
Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Jobs
This industry has a $50.60 billion market share in 2024, the largest in the Middle East and North Africa region. By 2029, its value will stand at $76.05 billion (at a consistent CAGR trajectory of 8.49% growth rate).
Opportunities that’ll sell hot in the near future include:
- Software Engineers
The recent digital transformation relies on coding electronic devices, thereby increasing demand for the design and development of electronic programs.
Among them are: mobile app making, website interface designers (full stack), developing accounting systems, and manufacturing iPhone or Android systems. Writing debugging code and cross-functional collaboration also earns you a well-paying job.
Specialists in this ever-changing field take home about 192,600 per annum (2024 statistics).
- Other high-paying ICT jobs in Saudi Arabia are Cyber security officers and Information systems managers.
Healthcare Expats
Yet another strong employer, healthcare jobs are the most sought-after jobs. And for a good reason – they’re the highest paid in The Kingdom! A general surgeon in Saudi Arabia, for example, earns an average salary of 349,508 USD every year !
Med school prepares future workers to work in places like Saudi German Hospital Group in the following specialties:
- General surgeons and doctors
- DNP Nurse professionals
- Dentists and operation surgeons (highest paid ranks)
- Opthamologists and pediatric doctors / Nurses
- X-ray and radiography specialists
- Obstetric professionals and epidemiologists
- Technical performance monitors, caregivers, paramedics, and specialized equipment operators
- Mental health psychologists
Digital Branding, Promotion, Marketing, and Advertisement
The salaries are lucrative, and workers are at liberty to hold more than one gig at a time. If you fancy making 35,000 Riyals per month, join the increasing bandwagon of online marketers.
Big names like Memac Ogilvy and MullenLowe (MENA) hire tech-savvy people to sustain (or add to) their online presence in large numbers. Here’s a list of positions to check for from their websites:
- Multiple forum content creators
- SEO specialists
- Social media engagement and administrative gurus
- Campaign analysts and strategists adept at tools such as Google Analytics.
- Social media /email marketers
- Marketing and retail / sales managers
Data Analysts and Information Scientists
With salaries starting as high as 25,000 SAR, this is yet another premium job vault. Rub shoulders with Oracle and SAS Institute moguls in their Saudi Arabia office corridors.
If AI is your thing, check for an opening in Saudi Arabia for the following data analyst jobs.
- AI technologist
- Robotics engineers
- Programming language experts
- HR data analytics professionals
- Data scientists and statistical modeling technicians
A List of Other Most Required Saudi Arabia Majors for the 2030 Job Market
Here is a list of 20 majors that’ll guarantee future placement in the fast-expanding Saudi labor market.
- Retail / small business development managers and HR management courses.
- Chemical engineering.
- Tourism, sports, and entertainment.
- Military industry studies.
- Culture and the arts majors.
- Social development and support (Not-for-profit sector courses).
- Wildlife protection and development, marine biology, and microbiology.
- Industrial and civil engineering (see vacancies under Saudi Binladin Group).
- Transport, supply chain management and logistics.
- Insurance, economics, investment, and risk management.
- Accounting, auditing, actuarial science, and financial mathematics.
- Mining and tech-supported oil and gas professions.
- Sustainable energy, electrical, and nuclear engineering.
- Any aviation majors.
- Mechanical and civil engineering.
- Teaching and education specialists.
- Robotics mechanics.
- Agricultural engineering.
- Space technology and aerospace engineering.
- Micromachining.
5 Must-Have Skills for Jobseekers in KSA
Proficiency in these 5 skills makes your CV more likely to sail through the stiff competition for a job in Saudi. Buttress your employability with these core competencies.
a) Obtaining digital marketing skills should be a priority. Entry-level SEO, for example, isn’t that hard to learn at home.
b) If Arabic isn’t your first or learned language, enroll for classes immediately. All job adverts ask for English language as a bare minimum.
c) Polish your data collection, interpretation, and analysis skills in readiness for complex business decisions. Refresh and update SQL and Excel knowledge.
d) Start a course in project management to understand team leadership, workflow efficiency, and timely job completion on a budget.
e) If you want to shoot to the top of the ladder, equip yourself with customer relations certification. Big brands feed on client’s loyalty!
Proven Strategies to Land a Job in KSA
If you’re looking to tap into the Saudi job market, this 9-step guide is all you need.
- Extensive networking on social media platforms like Facebook and X, and attending Saudi corporate events.
- Thorough employer research before customizing your resume.
- Use Bayt.com, LinkedIn, and GulfTalent as a hunting field.
- Upskilling and taking refresher courses in your study majors.
- Translate your credentials and additional skills for Saudi employers.
- Use resume builders and CV enhancement service providers for a more visible job application.
- Prepare adequately for interviews and tests.
- Attach previous work samples and recommendations from reputable organizations to your application documents bundle.
- Lastly, inform the prospective employer of any soft skills that you possess. Oftentimes, they’re all a Saudi recruiter is interested in!