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Average Information Technology Project Leader Salary in Saudi Arabia for 2026

An information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia earns about 221,500 SAR a year. That's 11% above the national average of 200,000 SAR.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Saudi Arabia sit around 119,900 SAR a year, while the very top stretches to 339,100 SAR. Everything on this page is in Saudi riyal (SAR, symbol ر.س), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Saudi Arabia, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.


How much does an information technology project leader make in Saudi Arabia?

Average salary
221,500 SAR
18,458 SAR per month
Lowest reported
119,900 SAR
9,991 SAR per month
Highest reported
339,100 SAR
28,258 SAR per month

A typical information technology project leader working in Saudi Arabia brings home around 18,458 SAR a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 119,900 SAR, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 339,100 SAR for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior information technology project leader working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.


How information technology project leader pay ranges in Saudi Arabia

A good way to think about salary in Saudi Arabia is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia earn less than 207,800 SAR a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 148,300 SAR (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 251,500 SAR (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of information technology project leaders sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 119,900 SAR. The highest stretch to 339,100 SAR, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

119,900
Low
207,800
Median
339,100
High
148,300
25th
251,500
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in SAR

Information technology project leader pay by experience in Saudi Arabia

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical information technology project leader salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    138,800 SAR
  • 2-5 Years
    +27% from previous
    175,900 SAR
  • 5-10 Years
    +33% from previous
    233,600 SAR
  • 10-15 Years
    +17% from previous
    273,000 SAR
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    301,700 SAR
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    325,800 SAR

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 33%. That is the point at which a information technology project leader typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Information technology project leader pay by education in Saudi Arabia

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving information technology project leader pay in Saudi Arabia. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average information technology project leader salary in Saudi Arabia broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    175,900 SAR
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +33% from previous
    233,600 SAR
  • Master's Degree
    +37% from previous
    319,600 SAR

Information technology project leader gender pay gap in Saudi Arabia

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. Male information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia earn an average of 232,900 SAR a year, while female information technology project leaders earn around 210,500 SAR. That works out to a 11% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Information Technology Project Leader gender pay gap

10%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Saudi Arabia.

Men 232,900 SAR
Women 210,500 SAR

Pay raises for an information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Saudi Arabia sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Saudi Arabia, the national average raise is around 8% every 17 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Saudi Arabia:

  • Banking
    2%
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
    1%
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Information technology project leader bonus rates in Saudi Arabia

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

76%

76% of information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an information technology project leader a high-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 24% of information technology project leaders reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Saudi Arabia

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Information technology project leader: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Saudi Arabia is about 8% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

7%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Saudi Arabia on average.

Public sector 207,800 SAR
Private sector 192,600 SAR

Information technology project leader salary by city in Saudi Arabia

Information technology project leader pay is not even across Saudi Arabia. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Riyadh
  • Mecca
  • Dammam
  • Jeddah
  • Medina
  • Khubar
  • Taif
  • Tabuk
  • Abha
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
RiyadhCity246,200 SAR239,300 SAR124,400-378,300 SAR
MeccaCity240,500 SAR240,500 SAR119,900-376,800 SAR
DammamCity239,000 SAR240,500 SAR115,740-369,300 SAR
JeddahCity232,900 SAR249,600 SAR106,780-367,200 SAR
MedinaCity227,600 SAR209,700 SAR125,100-345,100 SAR
KhubarCity225,300 SAR243,000 SAR104,500-359,900 SAR
TaifCity215,100 SAR204,700 SAR113,840-327,800 SAR
TabukCity215,100 SAR207,700 SAR111,000-330,700 SAR
AbhaCity215,100 SAR228,000 SAR102,460-341,400 SAR


Information Technology Project Leader in Saudi Arabia: FAQs

  • How much does an information technology project leader make per month in Saudi Arabia?

    An information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia earns about 18,458 SAR a month before tax, based on an annual average of 221,500 SAR.

  • What's the salary range for an information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia?

    Entry-level information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia start near 119,900 SAR. Top-end pay reaches around 339,100 SAR. The middle 50% of earners sit between 148,300 and 251,500 SAR.

  • Is the median information technology project leader salary in Saudi Arabia higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 207,800 SAR, lower than the average of 221,500 SAR. Half of information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia?

    Men working as an information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia earn around 11% more than women on average (232,900 vs 210,500 SAR a year).

  • Do information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia get bonuses?

    About 76% of information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do information technology project leaders earn more in the public or private sector in Saudi Arabia?

    In Saudi Arabia, the public sector pays an information technology project leader about 8% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do information technology project leaders in Saudi Arabia get a pay raise?

    An information technology project leader in Saudi Arabia sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.