Saudi non-oil exports rise 17.8% in second quarter

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

The increase included a 46.2 per cent rise in re-exports, while national non-oil exports excluding re-exports grew by 5.6 per cent, 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 per cent in Q2 2024. This was attributed to the 17.8 per cent growth in non-oil exports compared to a 13.1 per cent increase in imports during the same period.

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

Oil’s share of the Kingdom’s total exports slipped from 74.7 per cent to 67.9 per cent 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 per cent, outpacing a modest 1.7 per cent increase in imports. This lifted the trade balance surplus by 10.6 per cent 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 per cent. Oil’s share of exports narrowed further, dropping from 74.7 per cent in June 2024 to 70.2 per cent in June 2025.

 WAM