Non-Oil Exports Surge By 24.6% To SAR 28.4 Billion In April 2025 Amid Trade Surplus Decline

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has published the International Trade Statistics Bulletin for April 2025. The report reveals that Saudi Arabia's merchandise exports reached SAR90.3 billion, showing a 10.9% decrease from April 2024. Non-oil exports, including re-exports, increased to SAR28.4 billion, marking a 24.6% rise compared to the same month last year.

In April 2025, imports into Saudi Arabia rose to SAR76.1 billion, an increase of 18.3%. However, the trade surplus experienced a significant drop of 61.7%, falling to SAR14.2 billion when compared to April 2024 figures. The proportion of non-oil exports relative to imports improved, reaching 37.2% in April 2025, up from 35.4% in April 2024.

The share of oil exports in total exports decreased from 77.5% in April 2024 to 68.6% in April 2025. Chemical industry products led non-oil exports with a value of SAR6 billion, making up 26.4% of all non-oil exports during this period.

Key Import Categories

"Machinery, electrical equipment, and their parts" emerged as the largest category of imported goods, totaling SAR21.1 billion and accounting for 26% of total imports in April 2025.

China: A Major Trading Partner

China maintained its position as Saudi Arabia's top trading partner in April 2025. Exports to China amounted to SAR11.4 billion, representing 12.6% of total exports for the month, while imports from China were valued at SAR19 billion, constituting 25% of total imports.

The international trade statistics are derived from administrative records provided by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority for non-oil data and the Ministry of Energy for oil data. These records classify the Kingdom's exports and imports according to the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System established in 2022.

With inputs from SPA