Growth in operating revenues highlights strength of Saudi economy, says economist

Economist Bandar Al-Juaid said that economic stability is one of the main factors encouraging banks to spend and invest, noting that recent performance indicators reflect the resilience of the Saudi economy.

Speaking to Al Arabiya FM, Al-Juaid explained that the surge in operating revenue growth, amid current global economic conditions and ongoing uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, is a positive sign of the Kingdom’s economic strength.

He added that non-oil sectors were the main drivers of this performance, highlighting that the mining and industry sector, along with financial services and insurance, led the way in achieving positive results.

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The General Authority for Statistics announced in its Short-Term Business Indicators Bulletin for May 2026 that the operating revenue index rose by 11.4% compared to May 2025.

The bulletin indicated that this growth was supported by improved performance across several economic activities, led by mining and quarrying, which grew by 38.7%, manufacturing by 9.6%, wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair by 3.6%, and construction, financial activities, and insurance by 2.5% and 12.9% respectively.