Saudi Arabia’s Central Bank (SAMA) achieved a milestone as it grew its reserve assets to SAR1.86 trillion ($496 billion) in March 2026, the highest level since February 2020. The figure marks a 9.4% rise year-on-year from SAR1.7 trillion ($453 billion) recorded in March 2025, and a 4.5% increase from SAR1.78 trillion ($474.6 billion) in February 2026, according to official SAMA data.
The results reflect the Kingdom’s continued financial resilience amid a broadly supportive global investment environment.
Foreign Securities Drive the Growth
Foreign securities investments led all asset components, accounting for 56.6% of total reserves. Furthermore, these investments climbed 9.2% year-on-year to SAR1.05 trillion, up from SAR961.8 billion in March 2025.
Meanwhile, foreign currency holdings and deposits abroad also posted solid gains, rising from SAR649 billion to SAR714.6 billion over the same period. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s reserve position at the International Monetary Fund edged higher, moving from SAR12.5 billion to SAR12.8 billion year-on-year.
Together, these gains across all major components underscore the broad-based strength of SAMA’s reserve position. The six-year high signals confidence in Saudi Arabia’s macroeconomic management and supports the Kingdom’s long-term fiscal objectives under Vision 2030.
