Saudi Arabia recorded a trade surplus of SR30.6bn ($8.2bn) in February 2025, marking a notable 44.6% increase compared to the previous month’s surplus of SR21.1bn ($5.6bn). This surge represents the highest monthly surplus the Kingdom has posted in nine months, surpassing even the SR30.1bn ($8bn) surplus recorded in May 2024.
Surge in Trade Surplus and Export Growth
According to preliminary data released by the Kingdom’s International Trade Bulletin, Saudi Arabia’s total international trade for February reached approximately SR156.9bn ($41.1bn), reflecting a 4% year-on-year increase. This growth is equivalent to an additional SR1bn ($267m) when compared to the SR29.4bn ($7.88bn) surplus recorded in February 2024.
In terms of exports, Saudi Arabia’s commodity exports amounted to SR93.7bn ($25bn), with petroleum exports dominating the figures at SR67.6bn ($18bn), accounting for 72.1% of total exports. Non-oil exports reached SR16.1bn ($4.3bn), making up 17.1% of total exports, while re-exports totalled SR10bn ($2.67bn), contributing 10.7% to the total export value.
Key Trading Partners and Ports
The Kingdom’s exports were predominantly directed towards Asia, with the continent absorbing 73.7% of total exports, valued at over SR69bn ($18.4bn). Europe followed with 12.5% of exports (SR11bn/$2.9bn), while Africa received 8.4% (SR7bn/$1.9bn).
Among individual countries, China was the top destination for Saudi exports, receiving 16.2% of the Kingdom’s exports, valued at SR15.2bn ($4.1bn). The Republic of Korea and the UAE followed closely, receiving 10.1% (SR9.5bn/$2.5bn) and 9.8% (SR9.2bn/$2.5bn) of Saudi exports, respectively.
Regarding port activity, Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, were processed through 31 land, sea, and air customs ports. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was the leading port with SR3.2bn ($853m) in trade, accounting for 12.4% of the total, closely followed by Jeddah Islamic Port, which handled SR3.1bn ($826.5m), or 12% of the total trade.
