Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia’s PMI rose to 55.3 in September 2026 from 53.8 in August, marking a sixth consecutive month of expansion and the highest reading since February. The improvement was underpinned by a sharp rise in new orders, which moved closer to their long-run average and signaled a recovery in demand following softer conditions in mid-2026. Survey respondents pointed to an increase in client numbers and a growing pipeline of pending projects as the main drivers of stronger sales.
Firms also ramped up hiring, expanding both sales and technical teams to support new investments and higher workloads. However, delivery times lengthened at the fastest rate in five months, reflecting ongoing supply chain disruptions amid continued geopolitical uncertainty. On the cost side, input prices rose markedly, driven by higher material and transportation costs. Companies responded by lifting selling prices at a robust pace, with output charge inflation remaining among the strongest recorded in more than six years.
