Media Centre

Saudi Arabia's trade surplus surges 60% to over $24bln in Q1 2026

JEDDAH - Saudi Arabia's trade balance recorded a surplus of SR90.5 billion during the first quarter of 2026. This marks an increase of 60 percent on a quarterly basis, rising by more than SR33.9 billion compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, when the surplus amounted to SR56.5 billion.

The trade surplus recorded an annual growth rate of 43.7 percent and an increase of more than SR 27 billion compared to the same period in 2025, when the surplus stood at approximately SR 63 billion. This was revealed in the data released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in its March International Trade Bulletin.

On a monthly basis, the trade surplus continued its upward trend in March 2026, surging by 200.9 percent—an increase of more than SR38 billion compared to February of the same year, when the surplus totaled approximately SR19.1 billion.

According to the data, the Kingdom's total international trade volume exceeded SR535 billion during the first quarter of 2026, representing an annual growth rate of 4.5 percent and an increase of approximately SR22.9 billion compared to the corresponding period last year, when total trade reached SR512.3 billion.

The Kingdom's total merchandise exports during the first quarter amounted to approximately SR312.8 billion, while imports totaled around SR222.3 billion. National exports, including petroleum and non-petroleum products, reached SR274.5 billion.

The data further indicated that the value of re-exports exceeded SR38 billion during the first quarter of 2026, recording an annual growth rate of 32.9 percent and an increase of more than SR9 billion compared to the same period last year, when re-exports stood at approximately SR28.8 billion.

Among the Kingdom's trading partners, Asian countries remained the largest importers of Saudi exports, with imports valued at more than SR229.2 billion. They were followed by European countries at over SR47 billion, African countries at SR22.5 billion, and the Americas at approximately SR12.6 billion.

China retained its position as the leading importer of Saudi exports during the first quarter of 2026, with imports valued at SR44.8 billion.

With regard to non-oil exports, including re-exports, shipments passed through 32 land, sea, and air customs ports, with a combined value exceeding SR86.1 billion. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah ranked first, handling exports worth SR17.5 billion, followed by Jeddah Islamic Port, which processed exports valued at more than SR12 billion.

These results reflect the continued strength of the Kingdom's foreign trade performance, driven by sustained growth in national exports and re-exports, increasing commercial activity, and the expansion of trade relations with countries across the globe, the report pointed out.