News

Non-oil exports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (including re-exports) increased by 7.4% in December 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. Meanwhile, national non-oil exports declined by 8.5%, whereas the value of re-exported goods rose by 43.1%.
The international trade in goods results showed a 3.0% increase in total goods exports compared to December 2024. Petroleum exports rose by 1.0%, while the share of petroleum exports in total exports decreased from 68.7% in December 2024 to 67.4% in December 2025. On the imports side, they increased by 2.4% over the same period, while the trade balance surplus grew by 7.1% compared to December of the previous year.
In Q4 of 2025, non-oil exports (including re-exports) rose by 18.6% compared to Q4 of 2024, while national non-oil exports decreased by 1.5%, and re-exported goods increased by 67.4%. Total goods exports grew by 7.9%, and petroleum exports rose by 3.5%, while the share of petroleum exports in total exports declined from 70.4% to 67.5%. Imports in Q4 of 2025 increased by 4.7% compared to the same period of the previous year, and the trade balance surplus recorded a growth of 26.3%.
Regarding trade partners, Japan ranked first among goods export destinations in December, accounting for 11.7% of total exports, while China led import partners with a 28.7% share. On Q4 level, China was the top partner for exports, representing 13.1%, and maintained its leading position for imports at 27.2%.
International Trade in Goods Statistics is based on administrative records provided by the relevant authorities, including the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority for non-oil data and the Ministry of Energy for oil-related data. These records undergo statistical processing and review according to the methodologies approved by the relevant authorities, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the data before publication.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and Fikr Strategies for Industry Platform Company signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC). GASTAT was represented by Vice President, Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rshaid, while the company was represented by its Founder, Eng. Jassim bin Mohammed AlShammary.
The agreement aims to enhance coordination in statistical data exchange, contributing to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 by leveraging official statistics to serve the industrial sector. It also focuses on developing specialized national performance indicators to measure the growth and competitiveness of industrial sectors, launching national initiatives and training programs for capacity building in industrial data analysis, and providing technical support in data and information management. Additionally, the cooperation includes developing statistical indicators, issuing reports and publications, and conducting specialized statistical workshops.
Furthermore, the agreement represents a strategic step to enhance GASTAT’s role in supporting civil society institutions with accurate statistical information, enabling them to make decisions based on reliable data. It also underscores the importance of exchanging technical and knowledge-based expertise between the two parties in areas of shared interest. Additionally, the platform is committed to improving its services by relying on accurate data and objective analyses to support the continuous planning and evaluation of programs and services
 

GASTAT has launched the Data Innovation Hackathon, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative to leverage innovation in official statistical data. This initiative forms part of the “Road to Riyadh” series of events, held in preparation for Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Sixth United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) in November 2026.
The hackathon aims to advance innovation in statistical work and enhance the readiness of the statistical sector to keep pace with rapid technological developments. Through this initiative, GASTAT seeks to empower citizens and residents across Saudi Arabia including students, academics, freelancers, and employees to contribute to the development of innovative solutions that address key challenges.
The hackathon follows an open participation model and will be delivered entirely through a virtual platform, allowing for wide international engagement and promoting the exchange of expertise among professionals.
It offers total cash prizes of SAR 75,000, along with professional incentives, and provides mentorship and training opportunities for the winning teams.
The hackathon focuses on two primary tracks: innovative data collection leveraging non-traditional sources, and smart processing and classification powered by artificial intelligence technologies contributing to improved quality and greater reliability of official statistics.
This initiative is part of GASTAT’s efforts to expand the adoption of advanced technologies in data collection and processing, while reinforcing

 the role of artificial intelligence in elevating the quality of official statistics, in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision of building a data-driven knowledge 

economy. The hackathon is being prepared in collaboration with local partners to ensure alignment of efforts and to provide an enabling environment for innovators from diverse fields.
GASTAT confirms that full details of the initiative, including participation criteria and procedures, will be announced soon via its official social media platforms and website.
 

The President of GASTAT, Fahad Aldossari, held a bilateral meeting with the director of the UNICEF Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Lana Khalil Al Wreikat, at GASTAT’s headquarters in Riyadh, to discuss prospects for cooperation in statistical and developmental fields of mutual interest. 
This meeting comes as a part of GASTAT’s commitment to expanding its international partnerships and enhancing cooperation with other regional and international organizations. Such efforts aim to develop the national statistical ecosystem, support development efforts, and reinforce the role of reliable data in achieving sustainable development.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in statistical and development fields, contribute to supporting data production, improve its quality, and strengthen its role in supporting public policy and decision-making in line with the latest international practice and standards. It also addressed GASTAT’s strategic transformation and efforts to strengthen its position as a leading statistical institution at the regional and international levels through developing digital infrastructure, expanding data accessibility, building statistical capacity, and enhancing international cooperation. 
In addition, the meeting reviewed Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the 6th UNWDF 2026 and the role of the regional and international organizations in ensuring the Forum’s success and promoting global dialogue on data for development.
The president of GASTAT also emphasized that the partnership with the UNICEF Office for GCC countries represents an effective model for integration between national and international expertise in developing social statistics and enhancing data quality. He noted that this partnership is an extension of GASTAT’s efforts to support data-driven decision-making in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
He added that GASTAT is keen to expand its cooperation with regional and international organizations to enhance statistical capacity-building and reinforce Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading regional and global hub for data, particularly in light of its preparation to host the 6th UNWDF in Riyadh in 2026.
It is noteworthy that the UNICEF Office for GCC countries was established in 1987 by merging the country offices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. This was based on an institutional vision that reflects the unique social and economic development trajectories of the GCC countries.