RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions remained above $3.5 billion in the week ending Aug. 8, underscoring resilient consumer spending even as activity moderated from the previous week, official data showed.
According to the latest data released by the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, total POS transaction value stood at SR14.60 billion ($3.89 billion), down 10.5 percent from the seven days prior.
The total number of transactions also slipped, dropping 5.1 percent to 253.4 million, compared to 267.1 million the week before.
The broad-based pullback affected nearly every sector and city tracked in the weekly report, but education spending bucked the trend, jumping 54.1 percent to SR274.1 million.
The number of education-related transactions also rose 1.6 percent, making it the only category besides hotels to post a gain in transaction volume.
Hotels were the lone other bright spot, with transaction numbers edging up 0.4 percent, even as the value of hotel spending dipped 1.1 percent.
All other categories tracked by SAMA recorded declines in both transaction value and transaction volume.
Telecommunications spending saw the sharpest drop, falling 21.8 percent to SR192.5 million, followed by freight transport, postal, and courier services, which declined 21.7 percent to SR57.9 million.
Auto and equipment rentals fell 18.7 percent to SR68.7 million, while pharmacies and medical supplies dropped 18.4 percent to SR225.1 million.
Food and beverages remained the largest spending category despite a 15.3 percent decline, with transaction value totaling SR2.28 billion.
Restaurants and cafes held the second-largest share, slipping 7.1 percent to SR1.9 billion, while apparel, clothing and accessories came in third at SR1.26 billion, down 10.6 percent.
Transportation and gas stations rounded out the top spending categories, at SR1.09 billion and SR1.03 billion respectively, both posting declines of more than 8 percent.
On a city level, Riyadh continued to account for the largest share of POS spending, though transaction value fell 6.7 percent to SR4.88 billion, even as the number of transactions declined by a comparatively modest 3 percent to 80.4 million.
Jeddah recorded the second-highest spending total, with transaction value down 9.3 percent to SR1.98 billion. Dammam posted an 8.6 percent decline to SR663.7 million, while Makkah fell 7.7 percent to SR598.6 million.
Madinah saw the steepest decline among the Kingdom’s major cities, with transaction value dropping 10.7 percent to SR579.8 million, alongside a 6 percent fall in transaction numbers.
POS data 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 Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the Kingdom’s broader digital economy.
