Saudi Arabia recorded a merchandise trade surplus of SR14.36 billion ($3.83 billion) in July, with Egypt emerging as its most prominent African trading partner, according to preliminary government data.
- Saudi Arabia recorded a merchandise trade surplus of $3.83 billion in July, although both exports and imports fell year-on-year.
- Egypt emerged as Saudi Arabia’s top African trading partner, featuring among its largest export destinations and import sources.
- Oil remained central to Saudi exports, making up 71% of the total, while non-oil exports and re-exports saw significant declines.
- Saudi Arabia has increasingly used Red Sea routes and the East-West pipeline to maintain trade amid disruptions in Gulf shipping lanes.
Figures from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that merchandise exports fell 17.2% year-on-year to SR84.38 billion ($22.5 billion).
Imports also declined, falling 15.4% to SR70.02 billion ($18.7 billion). As a result, the kingdom maintained a trade surplus, although it was 25% lower than in July 2025.
Egypt stands out in Saudi Arabia’s African trade
The North African market was the only one from the continent to feature among Saudi Arabia’s top 10 destinations for exports and sources of imports in July.
On the export side, Egypt joined China, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, India, the United States, Poland, Malta and Taiwan. Together, the 10 markets accounted for 67.2% of Saudi merchandise exports.
For imports, it appeared alongside China, the US, Switzerland, Germany, the UAE, India, Italy, France and Japan. Collectively, these markets supplied 64.7% of the kingdom’s imports.
The figures point to relatively concentrated trade between Saudi Arabia and Africa, with no other African market appearing in either top-10 list during the month.
Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Middle East’s second-largest by nominal GDP after Türkiye, according to IMF projections, while Egypt ranks among Africa’s largest economies.
Their locations on opposite sides of the Red Sea also place the two countries along an important commercial corridor linking North Africa and the Gulf.
China and UAE dominate trade flows
Despite Egypt’s position, Saudi Arabia’s overall trade remained heavily concentrated in Asia and the Gulf.
China was the kingdom’s largest export market, receiving 13.4% of total shipments. The UAE followed with 10%, while Japan accounted for 8.7%.
China also led on imports, supplying 22.7% of goods entering Saudi Arabia. The US accounted for 8.4%, followed by Switzerland at 6.9%.
Meanwhile, the UAE remained Saudi Arabia’s biggest market for non-oil exports, receiving goods worth SR6.61 billion ($1.76 billion). India followed with SR3.20 billion ($853 million), while China received SR1.55 billion ($413 million).
Oil remains central to Saudi exports
Oil continued to dominate Saudi Arabia’s export earnings despite the kingdom’s economic diversification drive under Vision 2030.
Oil’s share of total exports rose to 71% from 67.4% in July 2025.
At the same time, non-oil exports, including re-exports, declined 26.2%. National non-oil exports fell 14.8%, while re-exported goods dropped 40%.
Plastics and rubber accounted for 19.8% of non-oil exports, while chemical products represented 18.6%.
On the import side, machinery and electrical equipment accounted for 25.7% of total purchases, while transport equipment represented 10.2%.
Red Sea routes gain importance
The weaker trade figures came as Saudi Arabia adjusted its logistics and energy routes following disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The kingdom has increasingly relied on its East-West pipeline and Red Sea ports to maintain trade flows and reduce its exposure to disruptions in Gulf shipping routes.
The July figures underline Saudi Arabia’s continued reliance on oil while also showing the importance of major trading partners across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Gulf.
