Saudi Arabia has seen a surge in women’s participation in business, with women owning 49 percent of the total 128,000 commercial registrations issued during the third quarter of 2025, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The latest Business Sector Bulletin reported that the total number of commercial registrations across the Kingdom has now surpassed 1.7 million.
Of these, 48 percent are owned by women, while 51 percent belong to young entrepreneurs, highlighting a growing role for women and youth in Saudi Arabia’s evolving business landscape.
The Riyadh region led the country with around 50,000 new registrations, followed by the Eastern Province with more than 21,500, Makkah with 19,400, Qassim with 8,300, and Asir with over 5,000.
By sector, construction recorded the highest number of new registrations, more than 67,000, making up 39 percent of the total. It was followed by wholesale and retail trade (over 25,000), manufacturing industries (22,000), accommodation and restaurant services (12,700), and transportation and storage (12,250).
The report also noted a 21 percent rise in establishments over the past five years, reaching 1.2 million. Limited liability companies grew by 158 percent, now exceeding 500,000, while joint-stock companies increased by 49 percent, reaching 4,488 by the end of the quarter compared to the same period in 2020.
The bulletin pointed to continued expansion in promising sectors such as electronic game development, augmented reality technologies, logistics, and e-commerce, all aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.
