Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's trade balance recorded a surplus exceeding SR63 billion during the first quarter of 2025, achieving a growth of 52 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, when the surplus exceeded SR41 billion, according to data from the International Trade Bulletin issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The data showed that the total volume of Saudi Arabia's international trade during the same period amounted to more than SR508 billion, with the value of commodity exports reaching approximately SR285 billion, compared to commodity imports exceeding SR222 billion. Non-oil national exports amounted to more than SR54 billion, representing 19 percent of total exports, while oil exports amounted to more than SR205 billion, equivalent to 71.8 percent of total exports, while the value of re-exports amounted to more than SR26 billion, representing 9.3 percent of total exports.

At the level of trading partners, the group of Asian countries topped the list of importers of the Kingdom's exports, accounting for 74.6 percent, with a value exceeding SR213 billion. This was followed by the group of European countries, accounting for 12.1percent, with a value exceeding SR34 billion, and then the group of African countries, accounting for 8.1percent, with a value exceeding SR23 billion.

At the country level, China topped the list of importers of the Kingdom's exports, accounting for 15.7 percent of total exports, with a value exceeding SR44 billion. This was followed by India, accounting for 9.8 percent, with a value exceeding SR28 billion, and then Japan, accounting for 9.3 percent, with a value exceeding SR26 billion.

With regard to non-oil exports, including re-exports, they passed through 34 land, sea and air customs ports, and their total value amounted to more than SR80 billion. King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail topped the customs ports with a value exceeding SR9.9 billion, representing 12.3percent of the total, followed by Jeddah Islamic Port with a value exceeding SR9.7 billion, representing 12.1percent.