00:00For nearly a decade, Saudi Arabia was the consulting industry's golden goose.
00:04As Europe and the U.S. slowed, Vision 2030 flooded the kingdom with strategy work.
00:09Big firms moved partners to Riyadh, slides were flying, and budgets were loose.
00:14That era is ending.
00:16Recruiters and consultants interviewed by Arabian Business have said that this shift actually started way back in 2023.
00:22Fewer briefs, slower approvals, and more questions around cost and outcomes.
00:26Public sector clients began tightening procurement, asking for clearer scope, firmer timelines, and evidence of delivery.
00:33The change is visible in some of Saudi Arabia's most ambitious mega-projects.
00:37At NEOM, there's new oversight measures, staffing has been reduced, and construction on the line has slowed as they reassess where their spending is going.
00:46In Riyadh, work on the mukaab has been postponed.
00:48Together, these moves could reflect a broader effort by the state and the Public Investment Fund to prioritize capital,
00:55sequence projects more carefully, and, of course, focused spending where execution risk can be managed.
01:01So, for consultants, demand hasn't entirely disappeared, but it has definitely narrowed.
01:05Strategy programs are now being replaced by implementation work.
01:08Saudi Arabia remains one of the world's most important consulting markets.
01:12There's still work, and, of course, there's still money and ambition.
01:15But the blank checks are gone.
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