Manufacturing, mining sectors drive Saudi industrial growth to 3.1%: GASTAT

Chemical manufacturing saw a 9.1 percent annual increase. Shutterstock 
Short Url
Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Manufacturing, mining sectors drive Saudi industrial growth to 3.1%: GASTAT

  • Kingdom’s IPI advanced to 108.6 in April, representing a 0.6% rise
  • Sub-index of manufacturing activities advanced by 7.4%

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index expanded by 3.1 percent year on year in April, driven by strong growth in the manufacturing, mining, and quarrying industries, official data showed. 

According to preliminary data from the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom’s IPI advanced to 108.6 in April, representing a 0.6 percent rise compared to the previous month. 

The latest IPI figures reinforce the progress of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification journey, which aims to reduce the Kingdom’s decades-long dependence on crude revenues. 

“Preliminary results indicated a 3.1 percent increase in the IPI in April 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year, supported by the rise in mining and quarrying activity, manufacturing activity and water supply, sewerage and waste management and remediation activities,” the analysis stated.




The expansion of the manufacturing sector highlights the evolving structural transformation of the Saudi economy. Shutterstock

GASTAT revealed that the sub-index of manufacturing activities advanced by 7.4 percent in April compared to the same month in 2024. 

The authority added that the index of oil activities saw an annual rise of 4.3 percent in the fourth month of the year, while non-oil activities edged up by 0.1 percent. Compared with March, oil activities rose by 1.6 percent, whereas non-oil activities declined by 2 percent.

GASTAT added that the growth in the manufacturing sector was driven by an increase in the production of coke and refined petroleum products, which grew by 22.6 percent year on year in April. 

The chemical manufacturing sector also contributed to the rise, increasing 9.1 percent annually. 

On a monthly basis, the sub-index of manufacturing activity witnessed a rise of 0.5 percent, driven by a 5.8 percent increase in the production of coke and refined petroleum products. 

The expansion of the manufacturing sector highlights the evolving structural transformation of the Saudi economy, with the Kingdom positioning itself as a key player in the global industrial landscape. 

In April, the sub-index of mining and quarrying activities increased by 0.2 percent compared to the same month in 2024. 




The index of oil activities saw an annual rise of 4.3 percent in the fourth month of the year, while non-oil activities edged up by 0.1 percent. File/Reuters

“Saudi Arabia increased its oil production to 9.01 million barrels per day in April 2025 compared to 8.99 million barrels per day in April 2024,” said GASTAT. 

On a monthly basis, the sub-index of mining and quarrying activity increased by 0.5 percent in April. 

According to the report, the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector registered an annual decrease of 0.2 percent but saw a monthly rise of 4.3 percent. 

GASTAT further said that water supply, sewerage, and waste management activities increased by 8.8 percent year on year in April, while it declined by 0.7 percent compared to the previous month. 

Compared to March, the index for oil activities increased by 1.6 percent in April, while non-oil activities dropped by 2 percent. 

The Industrial Production Index measures changes in industrial output based on the International Standard Industrial Classification framework, covering mining, manufacturing, utilities, and waste management sectors.


Saudi POS transactions see 20% surge to hit $4bn: SAMA

Updated 58 min 40 sec ago
Follow

Saudi POS transactions see 20% surge to hit $4bn: SAMA

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s total point-of-sale transactions surged by 20.4 percent in the week ending Nov. 29, to reach SR15.1 billion ($4 billion).

According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, the number of POS transactions represented a 9.1 percent week-on-week increase to 240.25 million compared to 220.15 million the week before.

Most categories saw positive change across the period, with spending on laundry services registering the biggest uptick at 36 percent to SR65.1 million. Recreation followed, with a 35.3 percent increase to SR255.99 million. 

Expenditure on apparel and clothing saw an increase of 34.6 percent, followed by a 27.8 percent increase in spending on telecommunication. Jewelry outlays rose 5.6 percent to SR354.45 million.

Data revealed decreases across only three sectors, led by education, which saw the largest dip at 40.4 percent to reach SR62.26 million. 

Spending on airlines in Saudi Arabia fell by 25.2 percent, coinciding with major global flight disruptions. This followed an urgent Airbus recall of 6,000 A320-family aircraft after solar radiation was linked to potential flight-control data corruption. Saudi carriers moved swiftly to implement the mandatory fixes.

Flyadeal completed all updates and rebooked affected passengers, while flynas updated 20 aircraft with no schedule impact. Their rapid response contained the disruption, allowing operations to return to normal quickly.

Expenditure on food and beverages saw a 28.4 percent increase to SR2.31 billion, claiming the largest share of the POS. Spending on restaurants and cafes followed with an uptick of 22.3 percent to SR1.90 billion.

The Kingdom’s key urban centers mirrored the national decline. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 14.1 percent surge to SR5.08 billion, up from SR4.46 billion the previous week. The number of transactions in the capital reached 75.2 million, up 4.4 percent week-on-week.

In Jeddah, transaction values increased by 18.1 percent to SR2.03 billion, while Dammam reported a 14 percent surge to SR708.08 million.

POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia. 

The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives. 

The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the nation’s broader digital economy.