Saudi Arabia Trade Surplus Narrows Sharply

Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus increased to SAR 13.0 billion in December 2025 from SAR 12.2 billion in the same month a year earlier, as exports rose more than imports. Outbound shipments rose 3% year-on-year to SAR 97.2 billion, supported mainly by higher shipments, which posted a modest gain of 1% and accounted for 67.4% of total exports. Non-oil exports increased 7.4%, supported by an 81.5% surge in machinery and electrical equipment, which represented 22.6% of non-oil exports. Japan was the Kingdom’s top export destination, absorbing 11.7% of shipments, followed by China at 11.6%, and the UAE at 10.8%. Meanwhile, inbound shipments grew by 2.4% to SAR 84.2 billion, driven mainly by increased imports in animal products (+12.1%), footwear, headgear, umbrellas, and sticks (+16.5%), and machinery and mechanical appliances (+27.5%). China remained the largest source of imports with a 28.7% share, followed by the US at 7.1%, and the UAE at 5%.

Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus increased sharply to SAR 23.0 billion in November 2025 from SAR 13.1 billion in the same month a year earlier, as exports surged while imports edged down. Outbound shipments grew 10.0% year-on-year to SAR 100.0 billion, supported mainly by higher oil shipments, which rose 5.4% and accounted for 67.2% of total exports. Non-oil exports jumped 20.7%, boosted by an 81.5% surge in machinery and electrical equipment, which represented 24.2% of non-oil exports. China remained the Kingdom’s top export destination, absorbing 13.5% of shipments, followed by the UAE at 11.7% and Japan at 9.9%. Meanwhile, inbound shipments inched down 0.2% to SAR 77.0 billion, mainly weighed down by base metals and their articles (-9.7%), despite an 8.6% rise in imports of machinery, electrical equipment, and parts, which made up 30.7% of total imports. China remained the largest source of imports with a 26.7% share, followed by the US (10.2%) and the UAE (6.2%).

Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus increased sharply to SAR 24.0 billion in October 2025 from SAR 16.2 billion in the same month a year earlier, as export growth outpaced imports. Outbound shipments rose 11.8% year on year to SAR 104.0 billion, supported mainly by higher oil exports, which increased 4.0% and accounted for 67.4% of total exports. Non-oil exports posted solid gains, jumping 32.3%, driven by a sharp 387.5% surge in transportation equipment and parts, which represented 37.4% of non-oil exports. China remained the Kingdom’s top export destination, absorbing 14.1% of shipments, followed by the UAE at 10.9% and India at 9.9%. Meanwhile, inbound shipments added 4.3% to SAR 80.0 billion, led by a 26.3% rise in purchases of machinery, electrical equipment, and parts, which made up 30.2% of total imports. China was the largest source of imports with a 24.8% share, ahead of the U.S. at 8.7% and the UAE at 6.4%.