From Oil to Opera: Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Bet

October 8, 2025

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, long known for its vast oil reserves and deep-rooted traditions, is now embracing a vibrant cultural transformation. Across the country, film festivals, concerts, operas, and contemporary art exhibitions are reshaping the cultural landscape, signaling a bold new vision for the future.

Through Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to diversify its economy, enhance its global image, and strengthen its social fabric. This strategic investment in culture and creativity is expected to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs in the creative and entertainment sectors, offering new opportunities for the Kingdom’s young and dynamic population—and positioning the nation as a regional hub of innovation and artistic expression.

Vision 2030 and the Economic Rationale

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, cultural policy has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. As Arab News (2025) observes, “Once seen as peripheral to national development, culture is now recognized as a strategic asset, central to economic planning, diplomacy and national self-understanding.” This perspective reflects the Kingdom’s broader vision to position culture as a cornerstone of national growth, social transformation, and international engagement under initiatives such as Vision 2030.

Launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, Vision 2030 aims to diversify the national economy, reduce its longstanding dependence on oil, and open new avenues for growth—particularly in tourism, entertainment, and technology. Culture has become a vital pillar of the Kingdom’s economic and social transformation.

While the recent cultural momentum has accelerated, efforts to elevate the sector began earlier. In 2020, the government announced that “more than 80 jobs in the arts and culture sector are to be given official occupational status in the Kingdom for the first time,” marking a major step in formalizing a creative economy (Arab News, 2020). This inclusion was made at the request of the Ministry of Culture to the Ministry of Human Resources, following a collaborative study of the cultural industry and aligned with international occupational standards. It was “the first time in the Kingdom’s history that such jobs have been included in the Unified Saudi Occupational Classification,” a move that signaled official recognition of artists, performers, and cultural professionals as part of the national workforce (Arab News, 2020).

The Cultural Transformation on the Ground

The Ministry of Culture has confirmed that “the SR81 billion ($21.6 billion) invested to date has been contributed by the public, private, and non-profit sectors” (Arabian Business, 2025). These funds support a wide range of initiatives: restoring historical and heritage sites, establishing museums, libraries, training centers, and cultural production facilities and nurturing creative talent across literature, film, music, fashion, architecture, visual and performing arts, and culinary arts.

As Arab News (2025) highlights, cultural investments involve directing capital toward the production, preservation, and circulation of cultural knowledge through initiatives like festivals, fashion shows, and global partnerships. These are backed by supportive systems: education, research, policy, and intellectual property. Flagship programs such as Riyadh Season, MDLBEAST, NEOM Studios, and the Red Sea Film Festival reflect Saudi Arabia’s growing ambition to become a leading cultural hub in the Arab world, attract global talent, and create thousands of jobs for Saudi youth.

Jobs and Economic Opportunities in the Cultural Sector

In line with Vision 2030, the kingdom aims to generate 300,000 jobs in the cultural sector—demonstrating its commitment to harnessing youth talent and expanding opportunities across creative industries (Arabian Business Gulf Insights, 2025). As the private sector becomes more actively involved in cultural initiatives, employment opportunities are expected to triple, spanning fields such as film production, museum management, performing arts, design, and fashion (Arabian Business, 2025).

Experts highlight the broader potential of these developments. The global creative sector is valued at $3.4 trillion, underscoring its importance as a powerful driver of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy (Arabian Business, 2025). By investing in cultural industries, the kingdom not only cultivates artistic expression but also positions itself to capture a share of this rapidly growing global creative economy—offering both financial gains and social returns.

How Fisher Supports Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Workforce

As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in the cultural sector and prepares for the creation of new jobs, organizations across the Kingdom will require agile, scalable workforce solutions. Fisher is well positioned to support companies and institutions navigating this rapid growth.

Our Recruitment Strategy & Planning services are designed to identify, attract, and onboard creative talent—ensuring teams are built for both immediate needs and long-term success.

Many of these roles demand specialized skills and sector-specific knowledge. Through our Sourcing and Talent Mapping services, Fisher provides clients with market insights, talent availability analysis, and candidate pipelines tailored to the cultural and creative economy. This allows organizations to remain responsive to changing workforce demands and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

In Addition, our Workforce Planning and Analysis services assist clients in aligning job structures with industry standards and the Unified Saudi Occupational Classification, helping organizations design roles strategically while offering clear pathways to employees.

Saudi Arabia’s journey from oil to opera reflects a bold and deliberate shift towards economic diversification, cultural enrichment, and global engagement. By investing in creative industries, the Kingdom is not only creating hundreds of thousands of jobs but also cultivating a skilled, future-ready workforce capable of driving sustainable growth. These initiatives are reshaping the nation’s identity and positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in arts, entertainment, and innovation.

References:

Arab News. (2020, March 10). More than 80 jobs in the arts and culture sector are to be given official occupational status in the Kingdom for the first time. Retrieved from https://www.arabnews.com/node/1691486/amp

Arabian Business. (2025, September 30). Saudi Arabia invests $21.6bn in culture, jobs to triple. Retrieved from https://www.arabianbusiness.com/culture-society/saudi-arabia-invests-in-culture-jobs-to-triple

AGBI. (2025, September 30). Saudi Arabia aims to generate 300,000 jobs in cultural sector. Retrieved from https://www.agbi.com/lifestyle/2025/09/saudi-arabia-aims-to-generate-300000-jobs-in-cultural-sector/

Arab News. (2025, September 29). The Saudi bet on cultural investment: Where strategy meets creativity. Retrieved from https://www.arabnews.com/node/2617113/amp