Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, rose 13.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) data. In March alone, non-oil exports increased by 10.7% compared to the same month in 2024.
Total merchandise exports fell 3.2% in Q1 2025 compared to the year before, with a sharper 9.8% drop recorded in March. The decline in oil exports led to a contraction in the Kingdom’s trade surplus, narrowing by 28% in Q1 and 34.2% in March on a year-on-year basis.
Imports grew 7.3% in Q1 and by 0.1% in March, contributing to the narrowing surplus. The ratio of non-oil exports to imports improved to 36.2% in Q1 2025, up from 34.3% in the same quarter last year. In March, the ratio stood at 36.5%, up from 33% in March 2024.
Oil exports accounted for 71.8% of total merchandise exports in Q1, down from 75.9% a year earlier. In March, the oil share dropped to 71.2%, compared to 76.5% in March 2024.
Chemical products made up 23.8% of non-oil exports in Q1 and 25.7% in March, maintaining their position as the top non-oil export category. Imports were led by machinery and electrical equipment, which represented 25.8% of total imports in Q1 and 26.1% in March.
China remained Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, accounting for 15.7% of exports and 26.6% of imports in Q1. In March, China’s share was 15.5% for exports and 25.3% for imports.
GASTAT compiles International Trade Statistics based on Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority records and oil data from the Ministry of Energy. Classification is based on the 2022 Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.
