Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's non-oil trade surplus with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries recorded an annual growth of 119 percent in the second quarter of 2025, reaching around SR11.9 billion. This represents an increase of around SR6.5 billion from the second quarter of 2024, when the trade surplus amounted to SR5.4 billion, according to the data released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

Preliminary figures from the International Trade Bulletin of GASTAT for Q2 2025 showed that the total value of non-oil trade, including re-exports, between Saudi Arabia and GCC member states amounted to SR54.3 billion. This marks a year-on-year increase of 25.2 percent, equivalent to an additional SR10.9 billion, from SR43.4 billion in Q2 2024.

The value of total non-oil merchandise exports, including re-exports, rose by 35.7 percent during the second quarter of 2025, reaching SR33.1 billion, up from SR24.4 billion in the same period last year, an increase of over SR8.7 billion. National non-oil exports stood at SR8.9 billion, showing annual growth of 4.3 percent (SR363.8 million) from SR8.5 billion in Q2 2024.

Meanwhile, re-exports recorded robust growth of 52.4 percent, reaching SR24.3 billion compared to SR15.9 billion in the same quarter of the previous year, a rise of SR8.4 billion. Saudi Arabia's merchandise imports from GCC countries also increased, amounting to SR21.2 billion, up by 11.7 percent (SR2.2 billion) from SR18.9 billion in Q2 2024.

The United Arab Emirates emerged as Saudi Arabia's top non-oil trading partner within the GCC, with bilateral trade reaching SR40.4 billion, accounting for around 74.3 percent of the total. Oman ranked second, with non-oil trade amounting to SR5.3 billion (9.7 percent), and Bahrain followed in third place with SR4.7 billion (8.7 percent). Kuwait and Qatar recorded trade volumes of SR2.4 billion (4.4 percent) and SR1.6 billion (2.9 percent) respectively, taking the fourth and fifth places.