In May 2025, Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, saw a 6% increase from the previous year, reaching $8.2 billion (SR31 billion). However, if you exclude re-exports, national non-oil exports actually fell by 1.8%, while re-exports surged by 20.5%.
Overall, the country’s total merchandise exports dropped by 14%, largely due to a significant 21.8% decline in oil exports. This meant that oil’s share of total exports decreased to 65.6% in May 2025, down from 72.1% a year prior.
Meanwhile, imports rose by 7.8%, which caused the trade balance surplus to plummet by 68.4% year-on-year. The ratio of non-oil exports (including re-exports) to imports slightly dipped to 38.5% as imports grew faster.
Key Export and Import Categories
Electrical machinery, appliances, and parts were the leading non-oil exports, making up 23.7% of the total and almost doubling in value with a 99.8% increase from May 2024. Chemical products followed, accounting for 22.8% and showing a slight 0.4% rise.
On the import side, electrical machinery and parts also dominated, comprising 29.7% of all imports and increasing by 23% year-on-year. Transport equipment and parts were the next largest category, at 11.4% of imports, but saw a 9.2% decrease.
Trade Partners and Entry Points
China remained Saudi Arabia’s top export destination, receiving 14% of all exports, followed by the UAE (11.2%) and India (8.9%). These countries, along with South Korea, Japan, the U.S., Egypt, Bahrain, Malta, and Malaysia, collectively accounted for nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of Saudi Arabia’s total exports.
Similarly, China was the primary source of imports for Saudi Arabia, supplying 28.9% of goods. The U.S. (7.5%) and the UAE (6.3%) were also major import partners. The top 10 import sources, including India, Japan, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, and France, contributed 67.6% of total imports.
King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam handled the largest volume of incoming goods, processing 26.4% of all imports. Other significant entry points were Jeddah Islamic Port (21.6%), King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (13.8%), King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (10.9%), and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam (5.3%). Together, these five locations managed 78.1% of all merchandise imports.
Click here for more on Finance and Investing
