Prime Highlights
- Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports reached SR97.5 billion ($25.9 billion) in Q4 2025, marking the highest quarterly level since 2017.
- The machinery and electrical equipment sector led growth, rising 78.6% year-on-year and accounting for 23.2% of total non-oil exports.
Key Facts
- Total merchandise exports grew 7.9% in Q4 2025, while oil exports rose more slowly at 3.5%, reducing oil’s share of total exports to 67.5%.
- Major trading partners included China, Japan, the UAE, India, South Korea, and the US, with Dammam Seaport handling 25.1% of imports and Jeddah Airport leading non-oil exports at 16%.
Background:
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports reached their highest quarterly level since 2017, hitting SR97.5 billion ($25.9 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The figure represents an 18.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year and a 114 percent rise from eight years ago.
The machinery and electrical equipment sector led non-oil export growth, making up 23.2 percent and rising 78.6 percent from last year. Re-exports also went up 67.4 percent, mostly in machinery and electrical equipment.
As a result, the share of oil in total exports fell to 67.5 percent, down from 70.4 percent a year earlier. Chemical products, the country’s second-largest non-oil export category, declined by 6.9 percent compared to the prior year.
The rise in non-oil exports is a key milestone under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and increase the contribution of non-oil exports to non-oil GDP to 50 percent by 2030. The ratio of non-oil exports to imports also increased to 39.4 percent in Q4, up from 34.8 percent a year earlier.
China remained Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, accounting for 13.1 percent of exports and 27.2 percent of imports. Japan followed as a major export destination, taking an 11.7 percent share in December. Other key export markets included the UAE, India, South Korea, and the US.
King Abdulaziz Seaport in Dammam handled 25.1 percent of all imports, making it the main entry point. For non-oil exports, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah led, accounting for 16 percent of shipments.
The data shows Saudi Arabia is reducing its reliance on oil and strengthening its position in global trade, especially in machinery and electrical equipment.
