Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus narrowed to SAR 17.3 billion in January 2026 from SAR 21.0 billion in the corresponding month of the previous year, as import growth outpaced exports. Imports grew 6.5% year-on-year to SAR 81.4 billion, led by higher imports of machinery, electrical equipment and parts (23.7%), which accounted for 30.3% of total imports, as well as transportation equipment and parts (7.3%). China remained the Kingdom’s top source of imports, contributing 31.0% of the total, followed by the UAE (7.7%) and the US (6.9%). Exports rose at a softer 1.4% to SAR 98.7 billion, dragged by a 6.4% decline in oil exports, which made up 67.0% of total exports. This decline was partly offset by a 22.1% surge in non-oil exports, driven by a sharp rise in machinery, electrical equipment, and parts (77.5%), representing 24.2% of total non-oil exports. China remained the main destination for Saudi exports, accounting for 15.1% of total exports, followed by the UAE (12.9%) and India (9.8%). source: General Authority for Statistics, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia recorded a trade surplus of 17298.40 SAR Million in January of 2026. Balance of Trade in Saudi Arabia averaged 73312.64 SAR Million from 1968 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 454159.00 SAR Million in December of 2005 and a record low of -3651.30 SAR Million in April of 2020. This page provides - Saudi Arabia Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Saudi Arabia Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Saudi Arabia recorded a trade surplus of 17298.40 SAR Million in January of 2026. Balance of Trade in Saudi Arabia is expected to be 16700.00 SAR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Saudi Arabia Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 19000.00 SAR Million in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-25 12:00 PM
Balance of Trade
Dec SAR13B SAR19B SAR 35.0B
2026-03-26 06:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Jan SAR17.3B SAR13B SAR14.0B
2026-04-23 06:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Feb SAR17.3B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 17298.40 13025.30 SAR Million Jan 2026
Capital Flows -9092.21 -12896.53 USD Million Sep 2025
Current Account -8229.49 -13440.86 USD Million Sep 2025
Exports 98717.60 97184.00 SAR Million Jan 2026
Foreign Direct Investment 6650.27 6323.67 USD Million Sep 2025
Imports 81419.20 84158.70 SAR Million Jan 2026
Non Oil Exports 18716.70 18655.00 SAR Million Dec 2025
Oil Exports 66145.90 65493.70 SAR Million Jan 2026
Remittances 15125.00 13859.00 USD Million Sep 2025


Saudi Arabia Balance of Trade
Saudi Arabia has been recording trade surpluses since 1968 due to shipments of oil (87 percent of total exports). Main imports are: machinery, mechanical appliances and electrical equipment; transport equipment and parts thereof and base metals. Main trading partners are: United States (14 percent of total exports and 12.6 percent of imports), China (12 percent of exports and 13 percent of imports) and Japan (13 percent of exports and 6 percent of imports). Others include: South Korea, United Arab Emirates, India and Germany.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
17298.40 13025.30 454159.00 -3651.30 1968 - 2026 SAR Million Monthly

News Stream
Saudi Arabia Trade Surplus Narrows in January
Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus narrowed to SAR 17.3 billion in January 2026 from SAR 21.0 billion in the corresponding month of the previous year, as import growth outpaced exports. Imports grew 6.5% year-on-year to SAR 81.4 billion, led by higher imports of machinery, electrical equipment and parts (23.7%), which accounted for 30.3% of total imports, as well as transportation equipment and parts (7.3%). China remained the Kingdom’s top source of imports, contributing 31.0% of the total, followed by the UAE (7.7%) and the US (6.9%). Exports rose at a softer 1.4% to SAR 98.7 billion, dragged by a 6.4% decline in oil exports, which made up 67.0% of total exports. This decline was partly offset by a 22.1% surge in non-oil exports, driven by a sharp rise in machinery, electrical equipment, and parts (77.5%), representing 24.2% of total non-oil exports. China remained the main destination for Saudi exports, accounting for 15.1% of total exports, followed by the UAE (12.9%) and India (9.8%).
2026-03-26
Saudi Arabia Trade Surplus Widens in December
Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus increased to SAR 13.0 billion in December 2025 from SAR 12.2 billion in the same month a year earlier, as exports rose more than imports. Outbound shipments rose 3% year-on-year to SAR 97.2 billion, supported mainly by higher shipments, which posted a modest gain of 1% and accounted for 67.4% of total exports. Non-oil exports increased 7.4%, supported by an 81.5% surge in machinery and electrical equipment, which represented 22.6% of non-oil exports. Japan was the Kingdom’s top export destination, absorbing 11.7% of shipments, followed by China at 11.6%, and the UAE at 10.8%. Meanwhile, inbound shipments grew by 2.4% to SAR 84.2 billion, driven mainly by increased imports in animal products (+12.1%), footwear, headgear, umbrellas, and sticks (+16.5%), and machinery and mechanical appliances (+27.5%). China remained the largest source of imports with a 28.7% share, followed by the US at 7.1%, and the UAE at 5%.
2026-02-26
Saudi Arabia Trade Surplus Widens in November
Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus increased sharply to SAR 23.0 billion in November 2025 from SAR 13.1 billion in the same month a year earlier, as exports surged while imports edged down. Outbound shipments grew 10.0% year-on-year to SAR 100.0 billion, supported mainly by higher oil shipments, which rose 5.4% and accounted for 67.2% of total exports. Non-oil exports jumped 20.7%, boosted by an 81.5% surge in machinery and electrical equipment, which represented 24.2% of non-oil exports. China remained the Kingdom’s top export destination, absorbing 13.5% of shipments, followed by the UAE at 11.7% and Japan at 9.9%. Meanwhile, inbound shipments inched down 0.2% to SAR 77.0 billion, mainly weighed down by base metals and their articles (-9.7%), despite an 8.6% rise in imports of machinery, electrical equipment, and parts, which made up 30.7% of total imports. China remained the largest source of imports with a 26.7% share, followed by the US (10.2%) and the UAE (6.2%).
2026-01-25