Mohammed Al-Ajlan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Contractors Authority, said that the contracting sector contributes about 7% of the Kingdom's GDP, likely to rise with the acceleration of development projects. He added that the real estate and contracting sectors are witnessing steady expansion, offering wide investment opportunities for small and medium enterprises.

This growth coincides with a broad developmental momentum in the Kingdom, supported by the ambitious Vision 2030.

He explained that the number of contractors registered with the Authority has reached about 117,000 contractors, indicating the sector's size and the abundance of opportunities for qualified companies to enter national projects.

This came during the opening session of the 'Real Estate and Contracting Week' events, organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha'at) in partnership with the General Authority for Real Estate and the Saudi Contractors Authority, from July 12 to 16, 2026, as part of the 'Business Weeks' series, aiming to enable entrepreneurs and SME owners to benefit from promising opportunities in the real estate and contracting sectors, and connect them with enablers, financing solutions, and strategic partnerships.

Al-Ajlan explained that building competencies, governance, safety, and digital transformation are the main pillars for raising the readiness of SMEs and enhancing their competitiveness, stressing that partnerships and alliances contribute to expanding their growth opportunities and increasing their participation in major projects.

He pointed out that the Authority continues its efforts to raise the efficiency of local contractors through various initiatives and programs. He explained that the most prominent challenges facing some SMEs are weak feasibility studies, unregulated pricing, and poor cash flow management, urging entrepreneurs to seize available opportunities.

The first day's events witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between 'Monsha'at' and the Saudi Contractors Authority, aimed at supporting SMEs in the construction and building sector by providing joint services and programs, and enhancing integration between the two parties' programs and platforms, contributing to raising the readiness of enterprises, supporting their growth, and enabling them to benefit from opportunities in the sector.

More than 40 entities from the public and private sectors participated in the specialized sessions and meetings on the first day, discussing investment opportunities in the real estate and contracting sectors, enabling SMEs to benefit from development projects, enhancing their participation in supply chains, in addition to reviewing financing solutions, real estate technologies, strategic partnerships, and best practices supporting the growth and sustainability of enterprises.

The week is held at Enterprise Support Centers in Riyadh and Madinah, and in the governorates of Jeddah and Khobar. Its events are also implemented in Abha in cooperation with the Asir Region Development Authority and 'Work Corner' incubator, and in Sakaka in cooperation with Beit Al Thaqafa, broadening the scope of benefiting from its events across various regions of the Kingdom.

The organization of the 'Real Estate and Contracting Week' is part of 'Monsha'at's' efforts to enhance the integration of the SME support ecosystem, and enable them to access investment opportunities and enablers in promising sectors, contributing to raising their competitiveness, supporting their growth and sustainability, achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

The organization of this week reflects the Kingdom's interest in empowering SMEs, which represent a key pillar in Vision 2030. The integration among relevant entities is expected to enhance the sector's competitiveness and increase the participation of national companies in development projects.