Saudi non-oil exports rise 17.8% in second quarter

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rose by 17.8 percent in the second quarter of 2025, according to official data.

The increase included a 46.2 percent rise in re-exports, while national non-oil exports excluding re-exports grew by 5.6 percent, the General Authority for Statistics of Saudi Arabia reported.

Saudi Press Agency quoted the Authority as saying that the ratio of non-oil exports, including re-exports, to imports increased to 37.3 percent in Q2 2025 from 35.8 percent in Q2 2024. This was attributed to the 17.8 percent growth in non-oil exports compared to a 13.1 percent increase in imports during the same period.

In Q2 2025, a 15.8 percent decline in oil exports dragged total merchandise exports down by 7.3 percent year-on-year. Combined with a 13.1 percent increase in imports, this pushed the merchandise trade balance surplus down by 56.2 percent compared to the same quarter of 2024.

Oil’s share of the Kingdom’s total exports slipped from 74.7 percent to 67.9 percent in the quarter, reflecting a gradual rebalancing of the export basket.

By contrast, monthly data for June showed a more positive trend. Non-oil exports surged by 22.1 percent, outpacing a modest 1.7 percent increase in imports. This lifted the trade balance surplus by 10.6 percent year-on-year.

Even with oil exports falling by 2.5 percent, the non-oil momentum was sufficient to keep overall merchandise exports in positive territory, rising 3.7 percent. Oil’s share of exports narrowed further, dropping from 74.7 percent in June 2024 to 70.2 percent in June 2025.

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