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%.
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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%.