Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports achieved remarkable growth, climbing 17.8% year-on-year during the second quarter of 2025. This significant increase reflects robust expansion in both re-exports and domestically produced goods, according to official data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), which confirms this positive trajectory for the Kingdom’s economy.
Re-exports specifically surged by an impressive 46.2% in Q2 2025, demonstrating strong regional trade hub activity. Simultaneously, national non-oil exports, excluding re-exports, also grew steadily by 5.6% during the same period. Consequently, the ratio of total non-oil exports to imports rose significantly to 37.3% this quarter, marking a clear gain from the 35.8% recorded in Q2 2024, indicating better trade balance health.
This non-oil expansion directly countered a 15.8% decline in oil exports experienced during Q2 2025. Therefore, total merchandise exports still fell by 7.3% year-on-year despite the non-oil strength. Moreover, combined with a 13.1% rise in overall imports, the merchandise trade surplus shrank considerably by 56.2%. Crucially, oil’s share of total exports decreased meaningfully from 74.7% to 67.9%, showcasing tangible economic rebalancing.
China Remains Key Partner, Chemicals Dominate Trade
Chemical products firmly held their position as the Kingdom’s top non-oil export category throughout the quarter. Conversely, machinery and equipment represented the leading category for Saudi imports during this period. Furthermore, China maintained its status as Saudi Arabia’s primary global trading partner in Q2 2025, as this consistent partnership underscores deepening bilateral economic ties between the nations.
Monthly data for June 2025 revealed an even more positive trend for non-oil exports, surging 22.1% year-on-year. This strong export performance significantly outpaced a modest 1.7% increase in imports during the same month. As a result, the trade balance surplus actually expanded by 10.6% compared to June 2024. Even with oil exports dipping slightly by 2.5%, non-oil momentum lifted total merchandise exports by 3.7%. Consequently, oil’s export share narrowed further to 70.2% in June, down from 74.7% a year earlier.
This consistent shift highlights the accelerating success of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy.
