The fifth edition of the FII Priorities Index, released during the FII 10th Edition 2026, found that 85% of respondents inside Saudi Arabia believe the Kingdom is moving in the right direction, placing it third among the 32 countries covered by the survey behind Vietnam and China. The reading, reported by Al Eqtisadiah from Riyadh, also showed 83% expressing confidence in Saudi government institutions during times of crisis, the highest level recorded across the sample.
Optimism extended beyond the national direction. According to the index, 88% of Saudi participants said their own lives were on the right track against a global average of 75%, while 87% described themselves as happy and 71% expected life in the Kingdom to improve in the future, compared with 47% globally. A further 68% voiced confidence in political leaders' ability to handle geopolitical challenges and preserve global stability.
On governance and social cohesion, 73% of Saudi respondents said they were satisfied with economic policies, the third highest share internationally, and 67% were satisfied with efforts to address social inequality, the top level among the countries studied. As many as 92% rated social cohesion in the Kingdom as good, against a global average of 69%, while cost of living topped the list of national priorities for 54% of participants, followed by unemployment at 43%.
The index also placed Saudi Arabia first worldwide on perceptions of entrepreneurial access, with 75% saying that starting a business was available to people like them, and 89% agreeing that hard work can improve a person's social and economic standing, a level shared with Egypt and the highest in the survey. On technology, 79% considered the Kingdom ready for the digital age, the highest in the Middle East and North Africa, while 72% said artificial intelligence had a positive effect on their daily lives and the same share were willing to pay for AI training, compared with 57% globally. Support for regulation was strong, with 83% backing global rules for AI and 79% opposing letting it make final decisions in sensitive areas.
Service assessments were similarly positive: 73% were satisfied with access to safe and comfortable housing, the highest reading in the index, 75% with hospital care and 70% with the readiness of the education system for the labour market, against a global average of 45%. The survey also captured persistent pressures, with 73% reporting they felt expected to stay available for work outside regular hours, the third highest share internationally. The findings were announced on the sidelines of the مبادرة مستقبل الاستثمار — النسخة العاشرة 2026, where the institute presents the index as an annual gauge of public sentiment across markets.