FX.co ★ Saudi Arabia Trade Surplus Widens in December

Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus widened to SAR 13.0 billion in December 2025, up from SAR 12.2 billion in the same month a year earlier, as export growth outpaced that of imports. Total exports rose 3% year-on-year to SAR 97.2 billion, driven primarily by higher oil shipments, which inched up 1% and accounted for 67.4% of total exports. Non-oil exports advanced 7.4%, supported in particular by a sharp 81.5% jump in machinery and electrical equipment, which made up 22.6% of non-oil exports.

Japan was the Kingdom’s largest export market, taking 11.7% of total exports, followed closely by China with 11.6% and the UAE with 10.8%.

On the import side, inbound shipments increased 2.4% to SAR 84.2 billion. The rise was mainly driven by higher imports of animal products (+12.1%); footwear, headgear, umbrellas, and walking sticks (+16.5%); and machinery and mechanical appliances (+27.5%). China remained Saudi Arabia’s leading import partner, accounting for 28.7% of total imports, followed by the United States with 7.1% and the UAE with 5%.