Managing the Human Capital: A Literature Review of Employee Well-Being and Retention in Light of Saudi Vision 2030

This literature review investigates the association between employee welfare and retention in Saudi Arabia as part of the reforms of Vision 2030. It synthesizes the evidence of the literature published during the period between 2016 and 2025 on the effect of workplace practices on the decisions made by employees to remain. The structured narrative approach allowed the review to search Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases with peer-reviewed and policy sources and the following keywords: employee well-being, retention, and Vision 2030. CASP appraisal checklists and the interpretive lenses of the JD-R, POS, and COR theories were used to review the eligible studies and thematically analyze them, respectively. Results indicate that fair pay, training, and career development increase satisfaction levels and decrease turnover, and high workloads, ambiguity of tasks, and employee voice diminish retention. Positive and ethical leadership, work-life balance, and appreciation always enhance the well-being of employees. HR practices have been transformed by Vision 2030 reforms, including Saudization, public-sector restructuring, and digital transformation, which emphasize cultural sensitivity and pay attention to equity and inclusiveness. Nevertheless, poor longitudinal studies and a lack of representation of women and small-business workers are the main gaps. The review finds that Vision 2030 gives a rare chance to connect HR practices with the welfare of the employees; however, additional multi-sector and long-term research is required to establish these connections and offer sustainable workforce planning in Saudi Arabia.

Human Capital, Employee well-being, Employee retention

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