The latest data issued by the General Authority for Statistics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia showed strong positive indicators reflecting the success of the Kingdom’s economic plans, as non-oil exports (including re-exports) recorded a remarkable increase of 20.7% during November 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year, 2024.
Growth context and Vision 2030
This rapid growth comes as part of the Kingdom's relentless efforts to achieve the goals of "Saudi Vision 2030," which is primarily based on diversifying income sources and reducing the overall dependence on oil as the sole driver of the economy. The increase in non-oil exports is a vital indicator of the recovery of the industrial and logistics sectors, the growing competitiveness of Saudi products in global markets, and the strengthening of the Kingdom's position as a global logistics hub for re-export operations.
Business performance details in numbers
According to the statistical report, foreign trade has undergone significant transformations, with the most prominent indicators being summarized as follows:
- National exports: Non-petroleum national exports (excluding re-exports) increased by 4.7%.
- Re-exports: Achieved a huge jump of 53.1%, mainly driven by an 81.9% increase in exports of machinery, appliances, electrical equipment and parts, reflecting extensive commercial activity in Saudi logistics zones and ports.
- Total merchandise exports: recorded an overall increase of 10%, also supported by a 5.4% growth in petroleum exports.
Declining oil dominance and a growing trade surplus
One of the most prominent economic indicators in the November 2025 report is the decrease in the contribution of petroleum exports to total exports, which declined from 70.1% in November 2024 to 67.2% in November 2025. This relative decrease in favor of non-oil sectors is tangible evidence of moving in the right direction towards economic diversification.
Regarding the merchandise trade balance, the Kingdom achieved a significant increase in its trade surplus, reaching 70.2% compared to the previous year. This surplus resulted from a rise in exports coupled with a slight decrease in imports of 0.2%. Furthermore, the ratio of non-oil exports to imports improved, reaching 42.2% compared to 34.9% in the previous year, thus strengthening the Kingdom's financial position.
The most important commodities in the trade balance
"Machinery, electrical appliances, equipment, and parts" topped the list of the most important non-oil export commodities, accounting for 24.2% of the total and registering an annual growth of 81.5%. "Chemical products" came in second, representing 20.3% of total exports, with a slight growth of 0.5%.
In contrast, electrical machinery and equipment also accounted for the largest share of imports at 30.7%, followed by transport equipment and parts at 14.4%, indicating continued domestic demand for capital and technical equipment that supports infrastructure and major projects.
