Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, rose by 6 percent year-on-year in May 2025 to reach SR31 billion ($8.2 billion), according to data released by the General Authority for Statistics on Thursday.

However, national non-oil exports (excluding re-exports) declined by 1.8 percent, while re-exports surged by 20.5 percent compared to May 2024.

Overall merchandise exports dropped by 14 percent due to a 21.8 percent plunge in oil exports. As a result, the share of oil exports in total exports fell from 72.1 percent in May 2024 to 65.6 percent in May 2025.

Imports, on the other hand, increased by 7.8 percent, leading to a 68.4 percent year-on-year decline in the trade balance surplus.

The ratio of non-oil exports (including re-exports) to imports dropped slightly to 38.5 percent, down from 39.1 percent a year earlier, as imports grew faster than non-oil exports.

Electrical machinery, appliances, and parts were the top non-oil exports, accounting for 23.7 percent of the total and nearly doubling from the previous year with a 99.8 percent increase. Chemical products followed, comprising 22.8 percent and growing marginally by 0.4 percent.

On the import side, electrical machinery and parts also topped the list, making up 29.7 percent of all imports and rising 23 percent year-on-year. Transport equipment and parts came next, representing 11.4 percent of imports but declining by 9.2 percent.

China remained Saudi Arabia’s largest export destination, receiving 14 percent of total exports, followed by the UAE (11.2 percent) and India (8.9 percent). Other key markets included South Korea, Japan, the U.S., Egypt, Bahrain, Malta, and Malaysia, which collectively accounted for 64.4 percent of total exports.

China was also the Kingdom’s top import source at 28.9 percent, trailed by the U.S. (7.5 percent) and the UAE (6.3 percent). India, Japan, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, and France rounded out the top 10, contributing a combined 67.6 percent of imports.

King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam handled the largest share of incoming goods, accounting for 26.4 percent of imports. It was followed by Jeddah Islamic Port (21.6 percent), King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (13.8 percent), King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (10.9 percent), and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (5.3 percent). Together, these five ports managed 78.1 percent of total merchandise imports.