In a powerful testament to its economic transformation, Saudi Arabia recorded a striking 21.7% surge in non-oil exports during September 2025. The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) published this compelling data in its latest International Trade in Goods bulletin. This performance highlights the accelerating momentum of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 diversification agenda, and confirms China’s pivotal role as the nation’s primary trading partner.
Saudi Arabia’s total non-oil exports, which include re-exports, grew by an impressive 21.7% year-on-year. Consequently, national non-oil exports excluding re-exports also saw a solid 2.8% increase. The value of re-exported goods alone skyrocketed by a remarkable 72.2%. This growth significantly boosted the ratio of non-oil exports to imports, which climbed to 42.5%.
Meanwhile, overall merchandise exports grew by 14%. This expansion occurred despite a slight decrease in oil’s share of total exports to 68.4%. The Kingdom’s trade balance surplus experienced a substantial year-on-year growth of 66.3%, highlighting strong external trade health.
Key Commodities and Partners
Electrical machinery and equipment led non-oil export commodities, constituting 25.7% of the total. Chemical industry products followed closely, representing 22% of the export basket. Remarkably, this same category also ranked first among imports, firmly cementing China’s position as the Kingdom’s principal trading partner. China accounted for 14.4% of total exports and supplied 28.2% of total imports.
The positive trend extended throughout the entire third quarter of 2025. Total non-oil exports, including re-exports, grew by 19.4% compared to the same period in 2024. The value of re-exported goods also saw a massive 69.6% increase, with total goods exports experiencing a 9.5% rise, even as the share of oil exports dipped to 68.5%.
Moreover, the ratio of non-oil exports to imports climbed to 40.3%. This consistent performance further strengthened the trade balance surplus, which grew by 17.2% year-on-year.
Electrical machinery and equipment again dominated the non-oil export sector, accounting for 26.9% of the total.
Furthermore, China maintained its lead as the Kingdom’s top trading partner in Q3. The Asian giant accounted for 14.9% of total exports and supplied 27.6% of total imports. This continued partnership clearly fuels Saudi Arabia’s transformative economic agenda.
