Quality of Life Program drives major economic, social gains in 2025

The Quality of Life Program, one of the Vision 2030 realization initiatives, highlighted its key achievements across various sectors in its 2025 annual report, noting significant progress in implementing transformative projects and initiatives to enhance the quality of life for all residents in the Kingdom.

The report stated that the program’s contribution to GDP reached 78 billion riyals (SAR), surpassing the target of 77.1 billion riyals. Non-governmental investment totaled 21.8 billion riyals, while local content rose to 44%, exceeding the 37% target. By the end of the year, 387,000 new jobs had been created, marking a 6.35% annual increase.

International initiatives and urban identity support

The report noted the launch of the Global Quality of Life Index, which now includes over 90 cities from 35 countries and has been incorporated into the UN-Habitat strategic plan, further strengthening Saudi Arabia’s global leadership.

It added that the urban design sector advanced through the Saudi Architecture Map initiative, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, featuring 19 architectural styles inspired by the Kingdom’s heritage. Citizen satisfaction with municipal services rose to 85%, surpassing the 74% target.

Growth in tourism, entertainment, and culture

The tourism sector welcomed more than 32 million domestic and international visitors during the Saudi Summer Season, a 26% increase over the previous season. Tourism spending exceeded 53.2 billion riyals, up 15%. Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in international tourism revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2019, with a 102% rise in international tourist numbers.

The entertainment sector expanded to include 954 licensed venues and 40 entertainment events, with training programs benefiting over 42,000 people in 10 cities, the incubation of 33 startups, and support for 110 establishments.

The cultural sector saw the launch of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy and the opening of the Red Sea Museum in Jeddah. There were 6,314 days of cultural events, and the target for visitable national heritage sites was met with 232 locations.

Advances in sports and security

The sports sector recorded an increase in adults engaging in physical activity to 59.1%, exceeding the 55% target. Over 230,000 participants benefited from the Sports for All platform, which includes more than 9,000 sports groups.

In the security sector, the Unified Security Operations Center (911) was inaugurated in Madinah, becoming the fourth such center in the Kingdom and consolidating the work of 28 operations rooms.

The achievements in 2025 reflect ongoing progress toward the Quality of Life Program’s goals, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global model for urban development, quality of life improvement, and sustainable development under Vision 2030.