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2022
Economic Complexity
Trade 0.78Rank 35 of 133
2021
Economic Complexity
Technology 0.98Rank 23 of 96
2022
Economic Complexity
Research -0.45Rank 80 of 135
2022
Product
Exports | Imports $362B | $169B23 of 226 |  32 of 226
2022
Per Capita Product
Exports | Imports $9.93k | $4.65k41 of 220 |  86 of 220

About

Overview In 2022, Saudi Arabia was the number 17 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 23 in total exports, the number 32 in total imports, the number 37 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 35 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) .

Exports The top exports of Saudi Arabia are Crude Petroleum ($236B), Refined Petroleum ($45.3B), Ethylene Polymers ($13.1B), Propylene Polymers ($6.4B), and Acyclic Alcohols ($6.19B), exporting mostly to China ($68B), India ($46.2B), Japan ($36.5B), South Korea ($36B), and United States ($23.9B).

In 2022, Saudi Arabia was the world's biggest exporter of Crude Petroleum ($236B), Propylene Polymers ($6.4B), Acyclic Alcohols ($6.19B), and Alkylbenzenes and Alkylnaphthalenes ($563M)

Imports The top imports of Saudi Arabia are Cars ($13.2B), Broadcasting Equipment ($5.43B), Gold ($5.22B), Refined Petroleum ($4.87B), and Packaged Medicaments ($3.08B), importing mostly from China ($36.5B), United Arab Emirates ($27.8B), United States ($11B), India ($10.1B), and Germany ($7.1B).

In 2022, Saudi Arabia was the world's biggest importer of Tanks and Armored vehicles ($674M) and Travel Kits ($72.7M)

Location Saudi Arabia borders Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen by land and Bahrain, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, and Sudan by sea.

Latest Trends

September, 2024

About

Overview In September 2024 Saudi Arabia exported SAR88B and imported SAR68B, resulting in a positive trade balance of SAR20B. Between September 2023 and September 2024 the exports of Saudi Arabia have decreased by SAR-15.3B (-14.8%) from SAR103B to SAR88B, while imports increased by SAR9.75B (16.8%) from SAR58.2B to SAR68B.

Trade In September 2024, the top exports of Saudi Arabia were Mineral Products (SAR62.8B), Plastics and Rubbers (SAR6.67B), Chemical Products (SAR6.57B), Machines (SAR4.19B), and Transportation (SAR2.72B). In September 2024 the top imports of Saudi Arabia were Machines (SAR19.2B), Transportation (SAR11.3B), Chemical Products (SAR7.21B), Metals (SAR6.1B), and Mineral Products (SAR4.18B).

Destinations In September 2024, Saudi Arabia exported mostly to China (SAR13.9B), Japan (SAR7.99B), United Arab Emirates (SAR7.5B), India (SAR7.31B), and South Korea (SAR6.88B), and imported mostly from China (SAR18B), United States (SAR5.4B), Germany (SAR3.45B), United Arab Emirates (SAR3.42B), and India (SAR3.21B).

Growth In September 2024, the decrease in Saudi Arabia's year-by-year exports was explained primarily by an decrease in exports to China (SAR-5.08B or -26.7%), Japan (SAR-3.39B or -29.8%), and South Korea (SAR-3.37B or -32.9%), and product exports decrease in Mineral Products (SAR-20.4B or -24.6%), Metals (SAR-113M or -6.01%), and Animal and Vegetable Bi-Products (SAR-27M or -20.3%). In September 2024, the increase in Saudi Arabia's year-by-year imports was explained primarily by an increase in imports from China (SAR5.67B or 46%), Indonesia (SAR1.47B or 239%), and Russia (SAR1.15B or 234%), and product imports increase in Machines (SAR6.12B or 46.8%), Chemical Products (SAR1.97B or 37.6%), and Metals (SAR724M or 13.5%).

Latest Trade

Time Scale
Flow
Color
EXPORT GROWTH (September 2023 - September 2024)SAR-15.3B(-14.8%)
IMPORT GROWTH (September 2023 - September 2024)SAR9.75B(16.8%)
MAIN DESTINATION (September 2024)ChinaSAR13.9B

This section shows exports and imports data at subnational level for Saudi Arabia. Click any date in the line plot, or any product, destination or origin country to explore the exports or imports behavior of Saudi Arabia over time.

For full datasets download visit Bulk Download page.

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Historical Data

Yearly Trade

Flow
Color
Depth
Top Export (2022)Crude Petroleum$236B
Top Destination (2022)China$68B

In 2022, Saudi Arabia exported a total of $362B, making it the number 23 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Saudi Arabia have changed by $152B from $209B in 2017 to $362B in 2022.

The most recent exports are led by Crude Petroleum ($236B), Refined Petroleum ($45.3B), Ethylene Polymers ($13.1B), Propylene Polymers ($6.4B), and Acyclic Alcohols ($6.19B). The most common destination for the exports of Saudi Arabia are China ($68B), India ($46.2B), Japan ($36.5B), South Korea ($36B), and United States ($23.9B).

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Exports (2022)
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Destinations (2022)
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Market Growth

Flow
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Growth
Fastest Growing Export Markets (2021 - 2022)
China$19B (+ 38.9%)
India$18.3B (+ 65.9%)
South Korea$14.4B (+ 66.8%)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2021 - 2022)
China$7.75B (+ 26.9%)
United Arab Emirates$5.71B (+ 25.8%)
Switzerland$2.44B (+ 94.4%)

Total Export Growth by Market (2021 - 2022)

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

Type
Flow
Depth
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Service Trade

Service Trade

Saudi Arabia Exports Services (2018)$19.7B
Saudi Arabia Imports Services (2018)$83.8B

In 2018, Saudi Arabia exported $19.7B worth of services. The top services exported by Saudi Arabia in 2018 were Travel ($13.8B), Transportation ($4.51B), Government services, n.i.e. ($678M), Financial services ($298M), and Computer and information services ($282M).

The top services imported by Saudi Arabia in 2018 were Government services, n.i.e. ($28.8B), Travel ($16.6B), Transportation ($15.7B), Other business services ($10.4B), and Construction services ($6.41B).

Service Exports (2018)

Service Imports (2018)

Economic Complexity

Overview

Economic Complexity (Trade)0.78Rank 35 of 133
Economic Complexity (Technology)0.98Rank 23 of 96
Economic Complexity (Research)-0.45Rank 80 of 135

Most Specialized Products by RCA Index

Saudi Arabia has a high level of specialization in Alkylbenzenes and Alkylnaphthalenes (11.1), Crude Petroleum (10.6), Acyclic Alcohols (9.69), Ammonia (8.9), and Ethylene Polymers (8.27). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Saudi Arabia observed and expected exports in each product.

Most Complex Products by PCI

The highest complexity exports of Saudi Arabia according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Epoxides, epoxyalcohols, epoxyphenols and epoxyethers; with a three-membered ring and their halogenated,... (1.51), Phenols; monophenols, polyphenols, and phenol-alcohols (1.48), Ketones and quinones; whether or not with other oxygen function, and their... (1.32), Acids; unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic, cyclic monocarboxylic, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids;... (1.27), and Nitrogen-function compounds, n.e.c. in chapter 29 (1.25). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.

Export Opportunities by Relatedness

The top export opportunities for Saudi Arabia according to the relatedness index, were Petroleum Gas (0.069), Typewriters (0.069), Cobalt Oxides and Hydroxides (0.066), Iron Reductions (0.061), and Photographic Chemicals (0.061). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Saudi Arabia is not specialized in.

Product Space

The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.

Relatedness Space

This network shows the products most related to the production structure of Saudi Arabia. These are products that tend to be co-exported with the products that Saudi Arabia exports. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Relatedness Space (2022)

Diversification Frontier

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Depth

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.

Diversification Frontier

Economic Complexity Ranking

Methodology
Scale

During the last 20 years Saudi Arabia's⁩ ⁨economy has become relatively more complex, moving from the ⁩⁨40th to the 35th⁩ position in the ECI rank.

These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.

Explore Rankings

ECI (Trade) Ranking by Country

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