In March 2025, Saudi Arabia's trade surplus significantly decreased to SAR 19.8 billion from SAR 30.1 billion in the same period the previous year, recording the lowest surplus since December. This decline was primarily due to a drop in exports combined with a slight rise in imports. Exports experienced a 9.8% year-on-year decrease, reaching a four-month low of SAR 93.8 billion. This decline was largely attributed to a 16.1% reduction in oil exports, which comprised 71.2% of total exports. Conversely, non-oil exports saw a growth of 10.7%.
China remained the leading destination for Saudi exports, comprising 15.5% of total exports, with India and Japan following at 9.4% and 8.7%, respectively. On the import side, there was a marginal increase of 0.1% to SAR 74 billion, fueled by a 3.6% rise in the purchase of machinery, electrical equipment, and parts, which made up 26.1% of all imports. Additionally, imports of transportation equipment and parts increased by 4.4%, accounting for 15.2% of the total imports. China continued to be the largest source of imports for Saudi Arabia, providing 25.3%, followed by the United States at 7.8% and the United Arab Emirates at 5.9%.
