Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector showed firmer expansion in August 2026, as the Riyad Bank Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) climbed to 53.8 from 53.1 in July 2026. The latest reading, updated on 3 September 2026, remains comfortably above the 50.0 threshold that separates expansion from contraction, indicating continued growth in overall business activity.
The uptick in the composite PMI suggests that underlying demand conditions in the Kingdom improved over the month, with businesses reporting a faster pace of activity than in July. While still indicative of moderate, rather than rapid, expansion, the move higher from 53.1 to 53.8 points to a strengthening private-sector environment as companies adapt to evolving domestic and external conditions.
With August’s reading reinforcing a positive trend in 2026, the Riyad Bank Composite PMI will remain a closely watched gauge of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economic trajectory, offering insight into how effectively the private sector is sustaining momentum amid the broader diversification efforts underway in the country.
