RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s industrial production expanded 1.5 percent year on year in May, driven by growth in mining, quarrying, and manufacturing activities, official data showed.
The Industrial Production Index reached 108.8 in May, rising 2.5 percent from April, according to preliminary figures from the General Authority for Statistics.
The latest IPI figure, reflecting continued growth in the manufacturing sector, underscores Saudi Arabia’s progress in its economic diversification efforts aimed at reducing its decades-long reliance on crude revenues.
In its latest release, GASTAT stated: “Preliminary results indicate a 1.5 percent increase in the Industrial Production Index in May 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 release further added that the index of oil activities saw an annual rise of 0.5 percent in May, while non-oil activities increased by 3.8 percent.
In May, another report released by GASTAT revealed that the Kingdom’s gross domestic product grew by 2.7 percent year on year in the first quarter, driven by strong non-oil activity.
Commenting on the GDP figures at the time, Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim, who also chairs GASTAT’s board, noted that the contribution of non-oil activities to the Kingdom’s economic output reached 53.2 percent — an increase of 5.7 percent from previous estimates.
According to the latest GASTAT report, the sub-index of manufacturing activities increased by 0.9 percent year on year in May.
This growth was driven by an increase in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products, which rose by 14 percent, and the manufacture of food products, which increased by 3.2 percent.
GASTAT added that the sub-index of mining and quarrying activity rose by 2.1 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.
“Saudi Arabia increased its oil production to 9.18 million barrels per day in May 2025 compared to 8.99 million barrels per day in May 2024,” added GASTAT.
The report further noted that electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply activity recorded an annual decrease of 7.7 percent in May, while water supply, sewerage, and waste management and remediation operations rose by 15.5 percent during the same period.
On a monthly basis, manufacturing activity in Saudi Arabia increased by 2.3 percent, supported by growth in the production of coke and refined petroleum products, which rose by 1.9 percent.
Compared to April, mining and quarrying activities in Saudi Arabia also increased by 2 percent in May.
Overall, oil activities rose by 2 percent in May compared to the previous month, while non-oil activities increased by 3.9 percent during the same period.
