Construction labour costs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are the highest in the Gulf, a recently published research report has found.
In its ‘Third Quarter Construction Costs and Outlook Report’, business intelligence service MEED found that construction labour costs in Saudi Arabia are on average, 18% higher than in the UAE and 51% more expensive than Qatar.
The average daily skilled labour rate is 22% higher in Saudi Arabia when compared to the UAE. The report also found that the daily unskilled labour rate is 14% higher in the Kingdom than in the UAE. 
The discrepancy was due to the smaller foreign labour contingent, said Emil Rademeyer, general manager of MEED Cost Indices.
Saudi Arabia’s construction sector is expected to achieve 5.4% growth this year, driven by increased government spending on social and economic infrastructure.
