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Saudi Arabia's Trade Surplus Soars 53% to SR155 Billion in First Half of 2026
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Economy & Trade

Saudi Arabia's Trade Surplus Soars 53% to SR155 Billion in First Half of 2026

From Saudi Gazette · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Context piece
  • Saudi Arabia's trade surplus grew by 53.17% to SR154.72 billion in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year.
  • The Kingdom's total foreign trade volume reached SR1.052 trillion, with exports up 7.3% and imports down 2.7% year-on-year.
  • The surplus saw significant monthly increases, particularly in March, and grew steadily through the second quarter.

Saudi Arabia has reported a substantial surge in its trade surplus, reaching SR154.72 billion during the first half of 2026. This marks a significant increase of 53.17% compared to the SR101.01 billion surplus recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The Kingdom's overall foreign trade volume expanded to SR1.052 trillion in the first six months of 2026, up from SR1.024 trillion in the same period last year. This growth was primarily fueled by a robust 7.3% increase in exports, while imports saw a slight decrease of 2.7%.

Analysis of the quarterly data reveals a consistent upward trend in the trade surplus. The first quarter of 2026 saw a notable jump, with the surplus in March alone increasing by approximately 213.7% to reach SR56.49 billion. The second quarter continued this positive trajectory, contributing a surplus of SR61.52 billion.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Saudi Gazette in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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