Saudi Arabia’s foreign trade reaches SAR 159 billion in August 2026

The General Authority for Foreign Trade announced that Saudi Arabia’s foreign merchandise trade reached approximately SAR 159 billion in August 2026, according to international trade data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi merchandise exports totaled around SAR 87 billion, while imports stood at about SAR 72 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of SAR 16 billion.

The data showed that mineral products topped the list of exported goods at SAR 61.5 billion, followed by plastics, rubber and related products at SAR 5.9 billion, and chemical industry products and related items at SAR 5.5 billion.

For imports, machinery, electrical equipment and parts led with SAR 18.8 billion, followed by chemical industry products and related items at SAR 6.9 billion, and metals and their products at SAR 6.4 billion.

Saudi Arabia’s trade partners in August 2026

• The United Arab Emirates was the top destination for Saudi exports at SAR 10 billion.
• South Korea ranked second with over SAR 9 billion, followed by India at SAR 7.3 billion.
• On the import side, China was the leading exporter to Saudi Arabia at SAR 15.7 billion, followed by the United States at SAR 6 billion and Egypt at SAR 4.2 billion.

Non-oil national exports (excluding re-exports) amounted to SAR 18.3 billion, while total non-oil exports including re-exports reached SAR 26.1 billion. The ratio of non-oil exports including re-exports to imports was 36.5%.

Modes of transport for foreign trade

• Maritime transport was the main mode for non-oil Saudi exports at SAR 12.8 billion, followed by land transport at SAR 8 billion and air transport at SAR 5.3 billion.
• For imports, maritime transport led with SAR 43.9 billion, followed by air transport at SAR 21.3 billion and land transport at SAR 6.3 billion.

The General Authority for Foreign Trade affirmed its commitment to strengthening Saudi Arabia’s international trade position, supporting the access of Saudi exports to global markets, opening new markets, and removing external barriers to contribute to national economic growth.