Saudi Arabia has announced a package of measures to cushion the impact of rising electricity and water prices, including monthly financial support for some workers and pensioners.
The measures, reported by the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday, will take effect ahead of tariff changes scheduled for January 1.
King Salman ordered monthly payments of 500 riyals ($133) for civil and military employees, retirees and eligible social security households, following a proposal by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The allowance also cover some bereaved relatives of people covered by the social insurance system.
The measures also include higher minimum wage requirements for Saudi nationals working in the private sector, under the Nitaqat initiative to boost the employment of Saudis.
The minimum monthly wage required for a Saudi employee to count as a full worker towards a company’s nationalisation quota will rise to 5,000 riyals, with the change taking effect six months after implementation begins. It will then increase to 6,000 riyals, 12 months after the first increase takes effect.
The support package is intended to ease the impact of the utility tariff changes while supporting wage levels and the long-term employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector.
Saudi Arabia has been facing an increasing number of attacks by Yemen's Houthis, which have disrupted the Riyadh airport operations and brought parts of the kingdom’s capital to a standstill, threatening its ambitious plans to overhaul the economy and attract foreign investment.
The attacks come as Saudi Arabia pursues Vision 2030, the programme launched a decade ago by Prince Mohammed to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil and transform it into a centre for tourism, international events and multinational businesses.
The strategy has already faced mounting challenges from the wider Middle East war, including Iranian attacks on US allies across the Gulf. The renewed Houthi campaign adds further pressure, with strikes targeting critical infrastructure, including oil sites and airports.
