22/06/2026 03:37 AST
Saudi Arabia's Operating Revenue Index rose 10.6 percent in April from a year earlier, driven by broad-based growth across key economic activities, official data showed.
According to the latest report released by the General Authority for Statistics, manufacturing activities grew 10.3 percent year on year in April, while mining and quarrying activities surged 22.5 percent. Financial and insurance activities also posted strong growth of 14.2 percent, followed by wholesale and retail trade, including motor vehicle repair, at 6.9 percent, and construction activities at 5.4 percent.
The figures add to a growing body of evidence pointing to the resilience of Saudi Arabia's non-oil economy as the Kingdom accelerates its Vision 2030 transformation agenda. Rising business activity, stronger investor sentiment, expanding construction pipelines, and sustained growth in service sectors have helped support economic diversification efforts, reducing reliance on hydrocarbons while creating new sources of growth.
In its latest report, GASTAT said: "On a monthly basis, the Operating Revenues Index decreased by 3.8 percent, affected by a 19.1 percent decrease in manufacturing and mining and quarrying activities, a 1.5 percent decline in wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles activities, a 2.5 percent decline in financial and insurance activities, and decreases of 1.5 percent and 4.9 percent in information and communication activities and transportation and storage activities, respectively."
Other notable annual gains included transportation and storage activities at 16.4 percent, accommodation and food service activities at 7.6 percent, and information and communication activities at 7.8 percent.
The report further said that administrative and support service activities rose by 7.8 percent year on year in April, while arts, entertainment and recreation activities rose by 12 percent.
Smaller increases were observed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at 1 percent, water supply and sewerage activities at 2.7 percent, and real estate activities at 0.8 percent, as well as professional, scientific and technical activities at 1.1 percent, education at 0.6 percent, and human health and social work activities at 1.1 percent.
A recent report by GASTAT also underscored progress in the Kingdom's economic diversification efforts and revealed that Saudi Arabia's Business Confidence Index climbed to 54.5 points in April, up from 52.1 points in March, indicating sustained optimism in the non-oil sectors.
The analysis added that the Kingdom's BCI stood at 60.6 in February and 61.6 in January, before the March dip, which was attributed to regional geopolitical uncertainty.
In May, Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector showed renewed momentum, as the Kingdom's Purchasing Managers' Index climbed to 52.8 from 51.5 in April, remaining above the 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction.
Employees Compensation Index
The Employees Compensation Index also demonstrated solid annual growth, rising by 10.1 percent in April compared with the same month of the previous year.
This increase was driven by manufacturing activities at 12.1 percent, construction activities at 8 percent, and wholesale and retail trade as well as motor vehicle and motorcycle repair activities at 9.3 percent.
The report added that mining and quarrying activities rose by 1.8 percent year on year in April, while financial and insurance activities expanded by 12.5 percent.
Additional annual increases in the Employees Compensation Index by economic activity included electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply at 5.3 percent, water supply and sewerage activities at 5.1 percent, and transportation and storage activities at 16.1 percent.
On a monthly basis, the ECI edged up by 0.1 percent, supported by gains in manufacturing at 0.8 percent, construction at 0.1 percent, financial and insurance activities at 0.5 percent, and transportation and storage activities and human health and social work activities at 0.1 percent each.
Issued building permits
In the construction sector, the number of issued building permits rose significantly in April.
According to the report, 7,356 building permits were issued, representing a 28.2 percent increase compared with the same month of the previous year.
Compared with March, the number of issued building permits rose 42.5 percent.
The Short-Term Business Statistics product is one of the economic statistical products aimed at measuring the performance of various activities in the economy in the short term through monthly indicators that monitor developments and growth rates for each activity, according to GASTAT.
The product covers all economic activities of establishments operating in the business sector.
Arab News
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