According to the Commodity Trade issued by the Statistics Authority, the value of re-exported goods increased by 95.5% during the same period, as a result of the rise in machinery, electrical appliances, equipment and parts by 78.2% (representing 46.1% of total re-exports).
Merchandise exports
Merchandise exports rose in January, by 1.4% compared to the same month in 2025, while petroleum exports fell by 6.4%.
The percentage of petroleum exports out of total exports decreased from 72.6% in January 2025 to 67.0% in January 2026.
As for imports, they increased in January 2026 by 6.5%, and when looking at the merchandise trade balance, the surplus by 17.5% compared to January 2025.
of non-oil exports increased in January 2026, reaching 40.0% compared to 34.9% in January 2025, as a result of
the increase in non-oil exports, which reached 22.1%, compared to an increase in imports of 6.5% during the same period.
“Machinery, electrical appliances, equipment and parts thereof” are among the most important non-petroleum export goods and constituted 24.2% of total non-petroleum exports, and increased by 77.5% compared to January 2025, followed by “chemical industry products” (representing 19.2% of total non-petroleum exports), which decreased by 3.1% compared to January 2025.
In contrast, the most important imported goods were “machinery, electrical appliances, equipment and parts thereof”, which constituted 30.3% of total imports, and increased by 23.7% compared to January 2025, followed by transport equipment and parts thereof, which constituted 13.7% of total imports, and increased by 7.3% compared to January 2025.
China is a destination for exports and imports
China is the main destination for the Kingdom’s merchandise exports, accounting for 15.1% of total exports in January 2026, followed by the United Arab Emirates with
12.9% of total exports, and then India with 9.8% of total exports.
Japan, South Korea, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Singapore, Egypt, Malta, and the United States of America were among the top 10 export destinations, with Saudi exports to these ten countries accounting for 68.6% of total exports.
China is the top source of the Kingdom’s merchandise imports, accounting for 31% of total imports in January 2026, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 7.7% of total imports, and then the United States of America at 6.9% of total imports.
India, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, France, and South Korea were among the top 10 countries from which imports were made, and the total value of the Kingdom’s imports from those ten countries amounted to 70.8% of total imports.
Import outlets
King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam is one of the most important ports through which goods pass into Saudi Arabia, accounting for 27.7% of total imports in January 2026, followed by the other main ports: Jeddah Islamic Port at 18.8%, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh at 15.8%, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah at 13.6%,
and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam at 5.4%.
These five ports accounted for 81.4% of the Kingdom’s total merchandise imports.
Export outlets
King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah emerged as the primary gateway for Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports in January 2026, handling 19.3% of
the total. This was followed by Jeddah Islamic Port (11.1%), King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (9.2%), King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail (
8.9%), and Jubail Port (8.2%).
These five gateways collectively accounted for 56.9% of the Kingdom's total non-oil merchandise exports.
