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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia\u2019s imports of services rose 8.4 percent in the second quarter of 2026 to SR120.8 billion ($32.16 billion), driven by higher spending on transport, travel and business services, official data showed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Services imports increased from SR111.4 billion in the first quarter, according to the General Authority for Statistics. Transport services accounted for the largest share of imports at SR34.1 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Travel services imports climbed 17 percent from the previous quarter to SR25 billion, helping drive the overall increase, GASTAT said. <\/p>\n
Maritime transport accounted for about 40.8 percent of transport imports, followed by air and land transport at smaller shares. Personal travel accounted for about 92 percent of travel-service imports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The increase in services imports came as Saudi Arabia continues to expand investment and economic activity beyond oil, while tourism also grows, with 123 million inbound and domestic tourists in 2025, up 6 percent, and tourism spending rising 7 percent to a record SR304 billion, according to the Ministry of Tourism.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In its latest report, GASTAT stated: \u201cOther business services (imports) amounted to SR18.8 billion, with professional and management consulting services accounting for approximately 50.8 percent of the total value of other business services imports, while construction services amounted to SR14.5 billion.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report added that government services imports stood at SR7.3 billion, followed by insurance and pension services at SR6 billion and communications, computer and information services at SR4 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The remaining imports were distributed among manufacturing services, personal, cultural and recreational services, financial services, charges for the use of intellectual property, and maintenance and repair services.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Exports fall\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Saudi Arabia\u2019s services exports declined 16.5 percent quarter on quarter to SR59.5 billion, with the fall mainly attributed to a 23.6 percent drop in travel services exports, GASTAT said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Travel remained the largest services export category at SR33.8 billion, with personal travel accounting for about 93.9 percent of travel services exports. <\/p>\n Travel accounted for 56.8 percent of total services exports in the quarter, according to GASTAT’s distribution chart.\u00a0<\/p>\n Transport services ranked second at SR10.5 billion, with air transport accounting for roughly 39 percent of transport services exports, followed by maritime and land transport at smaller shares.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Communications, computer and information services exports amounted to SR2.6 billion, with communications services accounting for approximately 50.9 percent of the total, followed by computer and information services at lower shares.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Other business services stood at SR2.3 billion, with professional and management consulting services accounting for about 51.7 percent. Construction and government services each amounted to SR1.8 billion, while financial services stood at SR1.5 billion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The remaining exports were distributed among manufacturing services, insurance and pension services, personal, cultural and recreational services, maintenance and repair services, and charges for the use of intellectual property.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n