Saudi Arabia Trade Surplus Widens in October

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%.

Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus widened to SAR 26.0 billion in September 2025 from SAR 15.6 billion in the same month a year earlier. This marked the largest surplus since May 2024, with both exports and imports increasing. Exports grew by 14.0% year on year to SAR 101 billion, driven by a 10.7% growth in oil exports, which accounted for 68.4% of the total. Non-oil exports also rose by 21.7%, led by a sharp increase in machinery, electrical equipment, and parts (+102.6%), which made up 25.7% of total non-oil exports. China remained the main destination for the Kingdom’s exports, taking 14.4% of the total, followed by the UAE (10.7%) and India (10.0%). Imports climbed by 2.8% to SAR 75.4 billion, mainly due to a 17.1% surge in machinery, electrical equipment, and parts, which represented 30.5% of total imports. Among major import sources, China held the largest share at 28.2%, followed by the U.S. (9.0%) and the UAE (5.7%).