Minister of Information: Discovery of 13 gas and oil fields and achievements for 2025
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Media, Salman Al-Dossari, announced a series of major national achievements for the Kingdom during 2025 at a government press conference held on Monday. The minister revealed record-breaking figures reflecting the success of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals across various sectors, from energy to quality of life and the digital economy.
Oil and gas discoveries enhance the Kingdom's position
In a landmark announcement reflecting the Kingdom’s continued leadership in global energy markets, Al-Dossari revealed the Kingdom’s success in discovering 13 new fields and 12 gas and oil reservoirs during 2025. These discoveries will enhance the Kingdom’s hydrocarbon reserves and support its ambitious strategy to maximize the use of natural gas to meet increasing domestic demand, thus freeing up more crude oil for export, which is in the interest of the stability of global energy markets and strengthens the national economy.
Significant leaps in the non-oil economy
The Minister of Information pointed to the structural transformation in the Saudi economy, where the contribution of non-oil activities to real GDP reached 55.4% during the third quarter of last year, compared to 45.9% in 2016. This accelerated growth reflects the success of the economic diversification policies adopted by the Kingdom, which focused on promising sectors such as tourism, entertainment, industry, and logistics, thus reducing the overall dependence on oil as the sole source of income.
Significant improvement in quality of life and health
Regarding social and health indicators, Al-Dossari explained that the average life expectancy in the Kingdom has risen to 79.7 years, compared to 74 years in 2016. This is a strong indicator of the development of the healthcare system, the success of health transformation programs, and the improved quality of life. He also confirmed that the rate of homeownership among Saudi families reached 65.4% by the end of last year, reflecting the significant progress in housing solutions provided by the government to its citizens.
Leadership in artificial intelligence and the digital sector
Technology was also a key element in these achievements, with the Kingdom ranking first globally in the number of awards at the Artificial Intelligence Youth Competition, winning 26 prizes, and second globally in digital government indicators. These accomplishments coincided with growth in e-gaming and cybersecurity activities, ranging between 23% and 35%, confirming the Kingdom's transformation into a regional and international technology hub.
Qiddiya: The world's new destination
For its part, and in confirmation of the pivotal role of the entertainment sector, the conference pointed to the rapid developments in the “Qiddiya” project, where the city’s name reached the global public more than 27 billion times in the second half of 2025. The world is looking forward to the opening of “Six Flags Qiddiya City”, in a step that will change the map of entertainment tourism in the region, in addition to hosting the “Impact 2026” forum for influencers.
