Country export capability

Saudi Arabia
export capability

A reported view of Saudi Arabia's export scale, destination network, sector breadth, trade history, and market-access context. Use the indicators together; no single measure describes export readiness on its own.

SAU1995-2024 coverage270 active partner marketsMacro trend resilient
Latest exports$292.0B2024 reported value
Latest imports$214.8B2024 reported value
Trade balance$77.1BExports minus imports
Export growth-9.2%Latest year-on-year change
Active partners270Latest reported markets

Country export profile overview

Saudi Arabia export data in one research view

This profile brings together export performance, trade balance, destination markets, HS2 sectors, partner breadth, history, and market-access context for country export research.

Export scale and balance

Start with the latest reported trade position

In 2024, Saudi Arabia recorded $292.0B in exports and $214.8B in imports. The resulting $77.1B trade balance gives the latest country-level position a clear context.

Exports changed -9.2% year on year and show a calculated +3.6% three-year CAGR. CAGR is an annualized comparison of reported values, not a forecast.

Markets and sectors

See where export value is concentrated

China received $54.0B in reported exports, representing 18.5% of the latest country total. Mineral fuels was the largest displayed HS2 export sector at $220.5B and 75.5% of exports.

The visible page highlights five leading destinations and five leading HS2 sectors, while the complete structured files retain every row supplied for this sample.

History and coverage

Read today's number against the long series

The country series covers 1995 through 2024, with 30 observed annual rows. That longer view helps separate a single-year movement from the broader export trend.

Partner counts, tariff context, concentration, exposure shares, and momentum are supporting indicators calculated from available trade observations. Missing values remain unavailable rather than estimated.

Economy and structure

The context around Saudi Arabia's export base

Macroeconomic and structural indicators add context to merchandise trade scale. They describe the country environment; they do not predict company performance or future exports.

GDP$1.2T2024 macro context
GDP per capita$35.1KCurrent-dollar GDP
Population35.3MReported population
Labor force15.3KReported labor force
Investment rate26.3%National investment rate
Savings rate44.2%National savings rate
Trade openness58.8%Exports + imports / GDP
Exports / GDP33.9%Merchandise exports / GDP
Secondary education77.1%Education context
Tertiary education14.9%Education context

Market signals

Where to look more closely next

Route-level risk and emerging-corridor signals for further research. These are calculated indicators, not forecasts.

Destination risk contextAll covered routes
Destination risk context for Saudi Arabia
DestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSACritical attention97.2%66.7%4.7%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
PhilippinesPHLCritical attention99.2%61.3%19.4%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
South AfricaZAFCritical attention92.6%64.7%11.3%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
CanadaCANCritical attention99.6%49.9%5.3%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
United Arab EmiratesARECritical attention67%30.9%3.8%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
JordanJORCritical attention91.2%27.9%16.4%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
EgyptEGYCritical attention75.5%16.1%29%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
ChinaCHNWatch6.8%28.4%30.2%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
SingaporeSGPCritical attention26.5%55.6%0.4%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
Republic of KoreaKORWatch5.1%25%14.6%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction

Full route coverage is retained. High attention means the route deserves closer product and access review.

Market opportunity signals

Product-market combinations worth investigating

All returned rows use buyer demand, exporter position, and calculated addressable-value fields. They are research signals, not forecasts.

Addressable-value signalsAll returned rows
Market opportunity signals for Saudi Arabia
RankMarket and productBuyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareDemand signal
1ChinaHS6 260111 · Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated$111.0B$119.1B0%Declining -2.6%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$165.0B$106.3B4.9%Stable +1.1%
3ChinaHS6 854231 · Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits$158.0B$93.1B0%Stable +10.5%
4ChinaHS6 854232 · Electronic integrated circuits: memories$80.6B$65.7B0%Slowing +20.6%
5ChinaHS6 710812 · Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder)$80.8B$64.9B0%Accelerating +2.4%
6ChinaHS6 854239 · Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542$81.8B$61.4B0%Accelerating +4%
7USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 851712 · Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks$53.9B$53.8B0%Accelerating -8.8%
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 847150 · Digital processing units: other than those of subheadings 8471.41 or 8471.49, whether or not containing in the same housing one or two of the following types of unit: storage units, input units or output units$53.9B$45.6B0%Stable +60.2%

Addressable value is a calculated field. Validate product, buyer, tariff, and route conditions before commercial decisions.

Detailed export portfolioHS4 lines beneath the leading sectorsOpen the detailed four-digit export table for Saudi Arabia.
All HS4 export lines2024 ranking
Top HS4 export lines for Saudi Arabia
RankHS4Parent HS2 sectorExportsShareActive HS6
12709HS4 detail codeMineral fuels (27) ↗$177.8B60.9%1
22710HS4 detail codeMineral fuels (27) ↗$37.7B12.9%5
33901HS4 detail codePlastics (39) ↗$10.5B3.6%5
43902HS4 detail codePlastics (39) ↗$5.0B1.7%4
52905HS4 detail codeOrganic chemicals (29) ↗$4.6B1.6%20
62711HS4 detail codeMineral fuels (27) ↗$3.6B1.2%7
73105HS4 detail codeFertilisers (31) ↗$3.3B1.1%8
82902HS4 detail codeOrganic chemicals (29) ↗$2.6B0.9%12
98517HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$2.3B0.8%7
108905HS4 detail codeShips and boats (89) ↗$2.2B0.8%3
118906HS4 detail codeShips and boats (89) ↗$1.9B0.6%2
127108HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$1.8B0.6%3

HS4 values are reported observations. The hierarchy is preserved; no missing descriptions are inferred.

The country export read

Saudi Arabia combines $292.0B in exports with a broad partner network.

In 2024, Saudi Arabia recorded $292.0B in reported exports and $214.8B in imports, producing a reported trade surplus of $77.1B. Exports changed -9.2% year on year and +3.6% annualized over three years. Mineral fuels (HS2 27) was the largest displayed export sector by value.

Destination network

Where Saudi Arabia exports move

All returned destination lanes ranked by latest reported export value. Share is calculated against the country total. Review sources ↗

Latest reported destination lanesAll returned · 2024
Leading export destinations for Saudi Arabia
RankDestinationLatest exportsShareYear-on-year3-year CAGR
1ChinaCHN$54.0B18.5%-5.2%-0.2%
2Republic of KoreaKOR$29.6B10.1%-0.6%+7.4%
3IndiaIND$28.4B9.7%-5.4%+1.5%
4JapanJPN$28.1B9.6%-10.3%+1.6%
5United Arab EmiratesARE$12.8B4.4%-25.5%+5.9%
6USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$12.7B4.3%-20.4%-3.1%
7PolandPOL$8.3B2.8%+16.5%+49.7%
8TaiwanTWN$7.7B2.6%-3.5%+0.4%
9MalaysiaMYS$7.4B2.5%-14.9%+38.7%
10EgyptEGY$7.2B2.5%+22%+2%

Destination values are reported country-to-country observations. Full returned rows remain in the downloads.

Trade history

A long view of export scale

Latest twelve years from the 30-year reported country series. Context, not a forecast.

Reported exports by year

2013
$365.8B
2014
$341.1B
2015
$197.4B
2016
$177.2B
2017
$213.3B
2018
$284.1B
2019
$251.0B
2020
$170.1B
2021
$262.3B
2022
$399.4B
2023
$321.5B
2024
$292.0B

Partner network

Scale is only one part of export capability

Partner breadth, distance, agreements, and tariffs add context to reported exports.

FTA partner markets16Reported count
WTO partner markets169Reported count
EU partner markets28Reported count
Shared-border partners8Country context
Shared-language partners27Country context
Average partner distance6,918 kmCalculated average
Partners with FTA5.9%Calculated share
Applied tariff context0.1%Calculated average
MFN tariff context0.1%Calculated average
Tariff advantage+0.1 ppPreferential vs MFN

Exposure context

Signals to examine alongside export scale

Calculated or classified route and country context. Not predictions or recommendations.

Attention share36.8%

Covered value under attention

Critical share8%

Covered value marked critical

Below historical peak31.9%

Distance below route peaks

FTA-covered exports15.9%

Covered value with FTA context

Weighted tariff context0.2%

Export-weighted tariff

Macro contextMacro trend resilient

Primary attention driver: Market access exposure.

Momentum score-5.3

History-based indicator

Partner concentration731.5

Partner HHI

Product concentration3,814.7

Product HHI

Country attention level: Watch. Missing fields remain unavailable.

Complete country valuesOpen the full profile evidenceFull history, sectors, HS4, destinations, risk, opportunities, and source fields.

Profile fields

Year2,024
Country Iso3SAU
Exports Usd$292.0B
Imports Usd$214.8B
Trade Balance Usd$77.1B
Yoy Exports Growth Pct-9.2%
Yoy Imports Growth Pct7.8%
Exports Cagr 3y Pct3.6%
Imports Cagr 3y Pct13.5%
Export Partner Hhi731.5
Export Product Hhi3,814.7
Momentum Score-5.3
Risk Score22.7
Gdp Million Usd1,239,804.53 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Usd$35.1K
Population35,300,280
Labor Force15,269.4
Investment Rate Pct26.3%
Savings Rate Pct44.2%
Secondary Education Pct77.1%
Tertiary Education Pct14.9%
Total Factor Productivity1,538.9
Trade Openness Pct58.8%
Exports Gdp Pct33.9%
Num Active Partners270
Num Fta Partners16
Num Wto Partners169
Num Eu Partners28
Num Shared Border Partners8
Num Shared Language Partners27
Avg Partner Distance Km6,918 km
Avg Partner Gdp Million Usd533,678,518.33 million USD
Avg Partner Gdp Per Capita Usd$15.8
Avg Buyer Biz Entry DaysNot reported
Avg Buyer Biz Entry Cost PctNot reported
Pct Partners With Fta6
Pct Partners Shared Language10
Pct Partners Shared Border3
Avg Applied Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Mfn Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Preferential Tariff Pct0%
Tariff Advantage Pp+0.1 pp
Avg Distance All Partners Km7,001
Num Border Partners185
Num Colonial Partners0
Avg Substitution Elasticity-10.4
Pct Products High Elasticity75
Pct Products Low Elasticity3
Real Market Potential116,015.2
Foreign Market Potential11,223.7

Exposure fields

Country Iso3SAU
All History Lane Count16,771
Current Lane Count7,680
Critical Lane Count156
High Attention Lane Count1,768
High Volatility Lane Count4,680
Unrecovered Drawdown Lane Count3,667
Declining Demand Lane Count15
Concentrated Market Lane Count3,727
Access Friction Lane Count709
Buyer Macro Weakness Lane Count495
Monitored Exports Current Usd$288.0B
Attention Exports Usd$106.1B
Critical Exports Usd$22.9B
High Volatility Exports Usd$76.2B
Unrecovered Drawdown Exports Usd$49.0B
Non Fta Exports Usd$241.0B
Monitored Attention Share Pct36.8%
Monitored Critical Share Pct8%
Fta Covered Exports Share Pct15.9%
Export Weighted Volatility Cv0.9
Export Weighted Below Peak Pct31.9%
Export Weighted Distance Km5,651 km
Export Weighted Tariff Pct0.2%
Latest Data Year2,024
First Data Year1,995
Country Years Count30
Total Exports Latest Usd$292.0B
Total Imports Latest Usd$214.8B
Trade Balance Latest Usd$77.1B
Exports Yoy Latest Pct-9.2%
Exports Cagr 3y Latest Pct3.6%
Gdp Latest Million Usd1,239,804.53 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Latest Usd$35.1K
Population Latest35,300,280
Investment Rate Latest Pct26.3%
Savings Rate Latest Pct44.2%
Trade Openness Latest Pct58.8%
Exports Gdp Latest Pct33.9%
Active Partners Latest270
Fta Partners Latest16
Foreign Market Potential Latest11,223.7
Gdp 5y Cagr Pct6.9%
Gdp Per Capita 5y Cagr Pct3.5%
Population 5y Cagr Pct3.3%
Partner Hhi Latest731.5
Partner Top1 Share Latest Pct18.5%
Partner Top3 Share Latest Pct38.3%
Partner Hhi All Avg811.1
Partner Hhi All Max950.5
Product Hhi Latest3,814.7
Product Top1 Share Latest Pct60.9%
Product Top3 Share Latest Pct73.8%
Product Hhi All Avg4,936.9
Product Hhi All Max6,222.6
Total Exports Attention Share Pct36.3%
Total Exports Critical Share Pct7.9%
Attention LevelWatch
Primary Risk DriverMarket access exposure
Macro Resilience LabelMacro trend resilient

Annual country history

YearExportsImportsTrade balanceExports YoYExports CAGR 3Y
1995$50.9B$29.5B$21.4BNot reportedNot reported
1996$58.2B$31.2B$27.0B+14.4%Not reported
1997$59.7B$33.5B$26.2B+2.7%Not reported
1998$41.6B$36.6B$5.0B-30.3%-6.5%
1999$49.9B$32.3B$17.6B+19.8%-5%
2000$77.1B$31.7B$45.4B+54.6%+8.9%
2001$68.6B$32.9B$35.7B-11%+18.1%
2002$71.5B$34.2B$37.3B+4.2%+12.8%
2003$91.5B$40.5B$51.1B+28%+5.9%
2004$122.5B$44.3B$78.2B+33.9%+21.3%
2005$171.5B$54.8B$116.7B+40%+33.9%
2006$204.9B$65.4B$139.5B+19.5%+30.8%
2007$221.5B$83.8B$137.7B+8.1%+21.8%
2008$308.6B$106.7B$201.9B+39.3%+21.6%
2009$184.0B$87.0B$97.0B-40.4%-3.5%
2010$241.4B$99.8B$141.6B+31.2%+2.9%
2011$351.0B$123.5B$227.5B+45.4%+4.4%
2012$376.5B$151.7B$224.8B+7.3%+27%
2013$365.8B$163.0B$202.8B-2.9%+14.9%
2014$341.1B$165.5B$175.6B-6.7%-0.9%
2015$197.4B$166.4B$31.0B-42.1%-19.4%
2016$177.2B$131.7B$45.6B-10.2%-21.5%
2017$213.3B$128.5B$84.8B+20.3%-14.5%
2018$284.1B$129.0B$155.1B+33.2%+12.9%
2019$251.0B$141.6B$109.4B-11.6%+12.3%
2020$170.1B$133.9B$36.2B-32.2%-7.3%
2021$262.3B$147.1B$115.2B+54.2%-2.6%
2022$399.4B$179.2B$220.2B+52.3%+16.7%
2023$321.5B$199.3B$122.2B-19.5%+23.6%
2024$292.0B$214.8B$77.1B-9.2%+3.6%

Top export sectors

RankHS2SectorExportsShareExport partnersActive HS6
127Mineral fuels$220.5B75.5%11543
239Plastics$19.0B6.5%168129
329Organic chemicals$11.4B3.9%135355
489Ships and boats$5.1B1.7%3718
531Fertilisers$4.9B1.7%7224
685Electrical machinery$3.4B1.2%152262
771Precious stones and metals$2.5B0.9%8148
876Aluminium$2.3B0.8%11135
984Machinery$1.8B0.6%159514
1074Copper$1.6B0.6%8049

Detailed HS4 export lines

RankHS4Parent HS2ExportsShareActive HS6
12709Mineral fuels (27)$177.8B60.9%1
22710Mineral fuels (27)$37.7B12.9%5
33901Plastics (39)$10.5B3.6%5
43902Plastics (39)$5.0B1.7%4
52905Organic chemicals (29)$4.6B1.6%20
62711Mineral fuels (27)$3.6B1.2%7
73105Fertilisers (31)$3.3B1.1%8
82902Organic chemicals (29)$2.6B0.9%12
98517Electrical machinery (85)$2.3B0.8%7
108905Ships and boats (89)$2.2B0.8%3
118906Ships and boats (89)$1.9B0.6%2
127108Precious stones and metals (71)$1.8B0.6%3

Top export destinations

RankDestinationISO3ExportsShareYoYCAGR 3Y
1ChinaCHN$54.0B18.5%-5.2%-0.2%
2Republic of KoreaKOR$29.6B10.1%-0.6%+7.4%
3IndiaIND$28.4B9.7%-5.4%+1.5%
4JapanJPN$28.1B9.6%-10.3%+1.6%
5United Arab EmiratesARE$12.8B4.4%-25.5%+5.9%
6USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$12.7B4.3%-20.4%-3.1%
7PolandPOL$8.3B2.8%+16.5%+49.7%
8TaiwanTWN$7.7B2.6%-3.5%+0.4%
9MalaysiaMYS$7.4B2.5%-14.9%+38.7%
10EgyptEGY$7.2B2.5%+22%+2%

Destination risk context

RankDestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
1USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)Critical attention97.2%66.7%4.7%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
2Philippines (PHL)Critical attention99.2%61.3%19.4%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
3South Africa (ZAF)Critical attention92.6%64.7%11.3%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
4Canada (CAN)Critical attention99.6%49.9%5.3%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
5United Arab Emirates (ARE)Critical attention67%30.9%3.8%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
6Jordan (JOR)Critical attention91.2%27.9%16.4%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
7Egypt (EGY)Critical attention75.5%16.1%29%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
8China (CHN)Watch6.8%28.4%30.2%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
9Singapore (SGP)Critical attention26.5%55.6%0.4%Current trade remains materially below historical peaks
10Republic of Korea (KOR)Watch5.1%25%14.6%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction

Emerging corridor signals

RankDestinationHS6SignalMarket importsCurrent shareStrength
1Afghanistan (AFG)830300new$161.7K86.7%100
2China (CHN)620219new$20.7M0.5%100
3Luxembourg (LUX)390931new$15.4M1.6%100
4China (CHN)281990new$21.8M0.5%100
5Lithuania (LTU)030617new$65.2M10.9%100
6China (CHN)080232new$2.7M4.7%100
7Liberia (LBR)850720new$757.9K15.4%100
8Sri Lanka (LKA)271121new$390.1K99.9%100
9Chile (CHL)610130new$12.9M1.3%100
10Sri Lanka (LKA)890400new$23.2M17.4%100

Market opportunity signals

RankMarketHS6Buyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareSignal
1China (CHN)260111$111.0B$119.1B0%Declining (-2.6%)
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)270900$165.0B$106.3B4.9%Stable (+1.1%)
3China (CHN)854231$158.0B$93.1B0%Stable (+10.5%)
4China (CHN)854232$80.6B$65.7B0%Slowing (+20.6%)
5China (CHN)710812$80.8B$64.9B0%Accelerating (+2.4%)
6China (CHN)854239$81.8B$61.4B0%Accelerating (+4%)
7USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)851712$53.9B$53.8B0%Accelerating (-8.8%)
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)847150$53.9B$45.6B0%Stable (+60.2%)

How to read this page

Separate reported scale from calculated context.

Reported exports, imports, trade balance, sector rows, destination rows, and annual history describe merchandise trade observations for the stated country and year.

CAGR, shares, concentration measures, tariff context, exposure shares, and momentum are calculated indicators built from the available observations. They help organize research but are not additional reported trade or forecasts.

Coverage runs from 1995 through 2024 for this profile. Missing values are shown as Not reported. Read the full methodology ↗

Reported observations

OECD BIMTS merchandise trade values are the primary series for this view.

Calculated indicators

Growth, share, HHI, tariff, and exposure fields are derived from available reported values.

Coverage limits

Unavailable values remain unavailable. No company sales, shipment records, or forecasts are implied.

Questions about this profile

Saudi Arabia export capability, in context

Short answers for readers comparing country export scale, partner breadth, and calculated trade indicators.

What does the Saudi Arabia export profile measure?

It combines reported exports, imports, history, destinations, HS2 sectors, partner context, and calculated indicators for Saudi Arabia.

What is the latest reported export value for Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia recorded $292.0B in reported exports in 2024.

Which markets receive the most exports from Saudi Arabia?

China leads by reported export value at $54.0B in 2024. Five destination lanes are highlighted.

Which sectors lead Saudi Arabia's exports?

Mineral fuels leads by reported value at $220.5B. Five HS2 chapters are highlighted.

How many years of Saudi Arabia trade history are available?

This sample contains 30 observed annual rows covering 1995 through 2024. Missing observations are not estimated.

Are the growth and exposure values forecasts?

No. They are calculated or classified from reported observations, not forecasts or market-access guarantees.

Continue your research

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Compare countries, products, sectors, and routes using the available trade evidence and definitions.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-28). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.