Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise by 13.4% during Q1

The General Authority for Statistics revealed that non-oil exports (including re-exports) during the first quarter of 2025 increased by 13.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Non-oil domestic exports (excluding re-exports) also rose by 9.0%, and the value of re-exported goods rose by 23.7% during the same period.

Merchandise exports declined by 3.2% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024, due to an 8.4% decline in oil exports. The share of oil exports in total exports decreased from 75.9% in the first quarter of 2024 to 71.8% in the first quarter of 2025. Regarding imports, they increased by 7.3% in the first quarter of 2025. When looking at the merchandise trade balance, the surplus decreased by 28.0% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

In the same context, non-oil exports (including re-exports) increased by 10.7% compared to March 2024, while domestic non-oil exports (excluding re-exports) increased by 6.7%, and the value of re-exported goods increased by 21.0% during the same period.

Merchandise exports decreased by 9.8% in March 2025 compared to March 2024, due to a 16.1% decline in oil exports. The share of oil exports in total exports decreased from 76.5% in March 2024 to 71.2% in March 2025. Regarding imports, they increased by 0.1% in March 2025. Looking at the merchandise trade balance, the surplus decreased by 34.2% compared to March 2024. The Authority explained that the ratio of non-oil exports (including re-exports) to imports in the first quarter of 2025 reached 36.2%, compared to 34.3% in the first quarter of 2024. This was due to a greater increase in non-oil exports than in imports. Non-oil exports increased by 13.4%, compared to a 7.3% increase in imports during this period. Chemical industry products are among the most important non-oil export commodities, accounting for 23.8% of total non-oil exports, an increase of 8.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024. This is followed by plastics, rubber, and their products, which represent 21.9% of total non-oil exports and increased by 10.4% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

Conversely, the most important imported commodities were machinery, electrical appliances, and equipment, and their parts, which accounted for 25.8% of total imports and increased by 18.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024. This is followed by transportation equipment and its parts, which accounted for 14.6% of total imports and increased by 17.3% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

China is the Kingdom’s main partner in commodity trade:

China is the main destination for the Kingdom’s exports, accounting for 15.7% of total exports in the first quarter of 2025, followed by India with 9.8% of the total. Exports, followed by Japan, with 9.3% of total exports. South Korea, the UAE, Egypt, the United States, Poland, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Taiwan were among the top 10 countries to which the Kingdom exported, with the total value of the Kingdom’s exports to these ten countries amounting to 67.6% of total exports.

China also ranked first among the Kingdom’s imports, accounting for 26.6% of total imports in the first quarter of 2025, followed by the United States with 7.9% of total imports, then India with 5.5% of total imports. The United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, Egypt, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom were among the top 10 countries from which the Kingdom exported, with the total value of the Kingdom’s imports from these ten countries amounting to 64.8% of total imports.