Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports rose 8% year-on-year (YoY) in May 2025 to almost SAR 80.9 billion, according to data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
Meanwhile, merchandise imports fell by 1%, or nearly SAR 567 million, month-on-month (MoM),as follows:
Imports of machinery and mechanical appliances, and electrical equipment and their parts topped in May, representing 30%, or SAR 24 billion of the total Saudi imports.
Vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and associated transport equipment came second at nearly 11%.
The table below shows details of Saudi imports inMayby segment:
Imports by Segment in May 2025 (SAR bln)
Segment
May2024
May2025
Change
Change (%)
Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Electrical Equipment; Parts Thereof
19.54
24.03
+4.49
+23%
Vehicles, Aircraft, Vessels, and Associated Transport Equipment
10.14
9.21
(0.93)
(9%)
Chemical Products
7.02
7.65
+0.63
+9%
Base Metals and Articles of Base Metal
6.50
7.00
+0.50
+8%
Metal Products
4.02
4.85
+0.83
+21%
Precious Stones or Metals and Articles Thereof;Jewelry
3.76
4.07
+0.31
+8%
Vegetable Products
3.61
3.31
(0.30)
(8%)
Prepared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Tobacco
3.38
3.20
(0.18)
(5%)
Animals, Product Thereof
2.71
2.95
+0.24
+9%
Plastics Rubber, and ArticlesThereof
2.67
2.78
+0.11
+4%
Optical, Photographic, Other Instruments
2.04
2.14
+0.11
+5%
Artworks and antiquities
1.85
2.02
+0.17
+9%
Textiles and articles thereof
1.78
2.01
+0.23
+13%
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
1.62
1.44
(0.18)
(11%)
Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof
1.38
0.93
(0.45)
(33%)
Stone, plaster, cement, ceramics, and glass and articles thereof
0.76
0.79
+0.03
+4%
Paper and cardboard and articles thereof
0.80
0.75
(0.04)
(5%)
Wood, cork, and wickerwork materials and articles thereof
0.53
0.62
+0.09
+17%
Animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes and their products
0.45
0.52
+0.07
+15%
Footwear, headgear, umbrellas, and walking sticks
0.36
0.39
+0.03
+7%
Hides, leather and articles thereof, bags and similar items
0.20
0.28
+0.08
+37%
Total
75.10
80.93
+5.83
+8%
Saudi Arabia’s imports came mainly from China in May, valued at SAR 23.4 billion or 29% of the total.
The US and the UAE followed with SAR 6.1 billion and SAR 5.1 billion, respectively.
The top 10 exporters to Saudi Arabia accounted for almost 68%, or SAR 54.7 billion, of the total imports in May,as shown below:
Top 10 Exporters to Saudi Arabia in May2025 (SAR bln)
Country
Value
% ofimports
China
23.36
28.9%
US
6.05
7.5%
UAE
5.08
6.3%
India
3.70
4.6%
Japan
3.61
4.5%
Germany
3.55
4.4%
Italy
2.92
3.6%
Switzerland
2.64
3.3%
Egypt
2.01
2.5%
France
1.82
2.2%
Other Countries
26.20
32.4%
Total
80.93
100.0%
Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports rose 8% year-on-year (YoY) in May 2025 to almost SAR 80.9 billion, according to data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
Meanwhile, merchandise imports fell by 1%, or nearly SAR 567 million, month-on-month (MoM),as follows:
Imports of machinery and mechanical appliances, and electrical equipment and their parts topped in May, representing 30%, or SAR 24 billion of the total Saudi imports.
Vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and associated transport equipment came second at nearly 11%.
The table below shows details of Saudi imports inMayby segment:
Imports by Segment in May 2025 (SAR bln)
Segment
May2024
May2025
Change
Change (%)
Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Electrical Equipment; Parts Thereof
19.54
24.03
+4.49
+23%
Vehicles, Aircraft, Vessels, and Associated Transport Equipment
10.14
9.21
(0.93)
(9%)
Chemical Products
7.02
7.65
+0.63
+9%
Base Metals and Articles of Base Metal
6.50
7.00
+0.50
+8%
Metal Products
4.02
4.85
+0.83
+21%
Precious Stones or Metals and Articles Thereof;Jewelry
3.76
4.07
+0.31
+8%
Vegetable Products
3.61
3.31
(0.30)
(8%)
Prepared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Tobacco
3.38
3.20
(0.18)
(5%)
Animals, Product Thereof
2.71
2.95
+0.24
+9%
Plastics Rubber, and ArticlesThereof
2.67
2.78
+0.11
+4%
Optical, Photographic, Other Instruments
2.04
2.14
+0.11
+5%
Artworks and antiquities
1.85
2.02
+0.17
+9%
Textiles and articles thereof
1.78
2.01
+0.23
+13%
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
1.62
1.44
(0.18)
(11%)
Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof
1.38
0.93
(0.45)
(33%)
Stone, plaster, cement, ceramics, and glass and articles thereof
0.76
0.79
+0.03
+4%
Paper and cardboard and articles thereof
0.80
0.75
(0.04)
(5%)
Wood, cork, and wickerwork materials and articles thereof
0.53
0.62
+0.09
+17%
Animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes and their products
0.45
0.52
+0.07
+15%
Footwear, headgear, umbrellas, and walking sticks
0.36
0.39
+0.03
+7%
Hides, leather and articles thereof, bags and similar items
0.20
0.28
+0.08
+37%
Total
75.10
80.93
+5.83
+8%
Saudi Arabia’s imports came mainly from China in May, valued at SAR 23.4 billion or 29% of the total.
The US and the UAE followed with SAR 6.1 billion and SAR 5.1 billion, respectively.
The top 10 exporters to Saudi Arabia accounted for almost 68%, or SAR 54.7 billion, of the total imports in May,as shown below:
Top 10 Exporters to Saudi Arabia in May2025 (SAR bln)
Country
Value
% ofimports
China
23.36
28.9%
US
6.05
7.5%
UAE
5.08
6.3%
India
3.70
4.6%
Japan
3.61
4.5%
Germany
3.55
4.4%
Italy
2.92
3.6%
Switzerland
2.64
3.3%
Egypt
2.01
2.5%
France
1.82
2.2%
Other Countries
26.20
32.4%
Total
80.93
100.0%
