Saudi Arabia’s slowdown in consulting spending is getting ink from Bloomberg and the Financial Times as the focus shifts from strategy to execution, adding to the worldwide pressure on the consulting market. The consulting market is set to see a 13% uptick this year, down from 14% in 2024, pushing firms to adapt, the salmon-colored paper reports, citing Source Global Research.

Foreign consultants face pushback: Firms like Boston Consulting Group, Roland Berger, and PwC are feeling the impact, with some moving staffers to other locations, Bloomberg reports, citing an unnamed source. PwC, which earned USD 2.5 bn in Middle East revenue in 2024, was reportedly banned from new Public Investment Fund consulting contracts for a year, leading many to advocate for boosting local hiring and looking for cost-effective alternatives.

Looking ahead: Analysts predict that Saudi Arabia will seek out a different type of companies instead of decoupling from the consulting market entirely, Bloomberg reports. Execution consultants may be given a boost as the kingdom moves from conceptualizing its vision to executing megaprojects, including preparations for the 2029 Asian Winter Games and the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the business news information service wrote.

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