Saudi Arabia’s social insurance net expanded significantly, reaching 13.2 million subscribers by the end of the third quarter of 2025. That’s a lot of people covered – but who exactly is benefiting from this system, and where are they located?
Workforce Breakdown: Private Sector Dominates
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Here’s a quick look at the numbers:
- Total subscribers reached 13.2 million as of Q3 2025.
- Approximately 23% of subscribers are Saudi nationals.
- A substantial 95% of all subscribers are employed in the private sector.
- The Riyadh region accounts for nearly half of all subscribers.
The vast majority – 95%, or 12.6 million individuals – are enrolled through the private sector, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics. The remaining 636,000 subscribers are part of the government sector. This highlights the critical role private employers play in providing social insurance coverage within the Kingdom.
National vs. Expatriate Participation
While social insurance is universal, participation differs significantly between Saudi citizens and foreign workers. Roughly 3 million Saudi workers were subscribed to insurance during the period, representing 23% of the total. In contrast, 10.2 million foreign workers – 77% of the total – were covered. This disparity reflects the composition of the Saudi workforce.
Regional Distribution and Subscriber Trends
Geographically, the Riyadh region is the epicenter of social insurance coverage, with 49% of all subscribers – approximately 6.5 million people – residing there. The Eastern Region follows with 2.5 million subscribers, and the Makkah Al-Mukarramah region with around 2.2 million.
However, the system isn’t static. During the third quarter of 2025, approximately 173,200 people stopped participating in social insurance. Of those, 52% – or 90,900 individuals – were Saudi nationals, while the remaining 48%, totaling 82,300 people, were foreign workers.
