Economic indicators

Data comes from the DataSaudi platform (Ministry of Economy and Planning) , which republishes the official tables of the body named on each indicator. Last checked: 9 October 2026 at 5:21. Charts and historical tables are in Afaq in numbers.

• Real GDP growth

  -4.7%

  Q2 2026

  Previous period (Q1 2026): 3.0%

  Year on year, against the same quarter a year earlier

  Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)

• Inflation rate

  1.8%

  August 2026

  Previous period (July 2026): 1.8%

  Annual change in the consumer price index

  Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)

• Unemployment rate among Saudis

  6.5%

  Q2 2026

  Previous period (Q1 2026): 6.4%

  Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)

• Merchandise trade balance

  SAR 14.4 bn

  July 2026

  Previous period (June 2026): SAR 16.6 bn

  Exports minus imports for the month

  Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)

• Foreign direct investment inflows

  SAR 19.1 bn

  Q2 2026

  Previous period (Q1 2026): SAR 23.1 bn

  For the quarter

  Source: Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)

• New foreign investment licences

  1,505

  Q4 2023

  Previous period (Q3 2023): 1,191

  Licences issued during the quarter

  This is the latest data on the platform; the issuing body may have newer figures.

  Source: Ministry of Investment (Invest Saudi)

Afaq shows these figures as published by their official sources, without modification, and checks them automatically every two hours. In case of any discrepancy, the issuing body is the reference.