RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, recorded a surge of 18.9 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, while national non-oil exports, excluding re-exports, decreased by 0.1 percent.
According to the 2025 International Merchandise Trade Report, published by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) on Sunday, merchandise exports rose by 2.1 percent reaching SR1,170 billion while oil exports declined by 4 percent.
The report showed an 8.8 percent increase in imports, reaching SR949.8 billion, and a 19.2 percent decrease in the trade surplus, falling to SR220.2 billion compared to 2024. The share of petroleum exports in total exports decreased from 73.1 percent in 2024 to 68.7 percent in 2025.
The report revealed a 64.4 percent increase in the value of re-exported goods last year. This was driven by a 99.8 percent surge in machinery, electrical equipment, and their parts, which accounted for over 50 percent of total re-exports. The ratio of non-petroleum exports, including re-exports, to imports increased in 2025, reaching 38.5 percent compared to 35.3 percent in 2024.
Chemical products accounted for 22.5 percent of total non-oil exports, increasing by 4.7 percent last year compared to 2024. This was followed by machinery, electrical equipment, and parts, which represented 22.4 percent of total non-oil exports, rising by 91.8 percent last year.
Conversely, the most significant imported goods were machinery, electrical appliances, equipment, and their parts, which constituted 29 percent of total imports and increased by 24.6 percent, followed by transport equipment and its parts, which accounted for 13.6 percent of total imports and increased by 3.6 percent compared to 2024.
China was the primary destination for the Kingdom’s merchandise exports, accounting for 14.6 percent of total exports in 2025, followed by the UAE at 10 percent, and India at 9.4 percent. South Korea, Japan, the United States, Egypt, Bahrain, Poland, and Malta were among the top 10 export destinations, with the Kingdom’s exports to these ten countries accounting for 66.8 percent of its total exports.
China also ranked first among the Kingdom’s merchandise imports, accounting for 27.5 percent of total imports in 2025. China was followed by the United States with 8.2 percent, and then the UAE with 5.7 percent. India, Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Egypt were among the top ten exporting countries, with the total value of imports from these ten countries representing 65.9 percent of the Kingdom’s total imports.
King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam remained the primary gateway for goods entering the Kingdom, handling 26.6 percent of total imports last year. Jeddah Islamic Port followed with 22.1 percent, then King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with 13.8 percent, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah with 10.4 percent, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam with 5.4 percent. These five ports of entry constituted 78.2 percent of the Kingdom’s total merchandise imports.
King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah emerged as the primary gateway for the Kingdom’s non-oil exports in 2025, handling 14.2 percent of the total. This was followed by Jeddah Islamic Port at 11.7 percent, King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail at 11.1 percent, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh at 10. 6percent, and Jubail Port at 7.9 percent. These five gateways collectively accounted for 55.4 percent of the Kingdom’s total non-oil merchandise exports.
Source: Saudi Gazette