Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia recorded remarkable growth during the past week, with the latest data issued by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) revealing that the value of point-of-sale transactions exceeded 13 billion riyals, reflecting the vitality of economic activity and the increasing reliance on digital payments.
Growth indicators and digital transformation
According to the weekly bulletin, the total number of point-of-sale transactions in the Kingdom during the period from December 21 to 27, 2025 AD amounted to approximately (220,659,000) transactions, with a total value of (13,028,075,000) riyals, thus recording an increase compared to the previous week in which the transactions recorded a value of (12,488,356,000) riyals.
This continued increase in transaction volume is consistent with the objectives of the Financial Sector Development Program, one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programs, which aims to promote digital financial transactions and reduce reliance on cash, in order to reach a cashless society with 70% of transactions by 2030. These figures demonstrate the success of the digital payments infrastructure in absorbing the significant growth in demand.
Spending breakdown by sector
The data showed a disparity in the size of spending between different sectors, with the restaurants and cafes sector leading the way in terms of the number of transactions with (54,191,000) transactions with a value exceeding 1.57 billion riyals, followed by the food and beverage sector with (50,507,000) transactions and a value approaching 1.91 billion riyals.
In other vital sectors, the healthcare sector recorded approximately 8.9 million transactions worth SAR 776 million, while spending in the transportation sector reached SAR 943 million across 5.5 million transactions. The clothing and accessories sector also witnessed significant activity, with transactions totaling SAR 1.23 billion, indicating strong commercial activity in the retail sector.
The list also included other sectors such as fuel stations, which recorded transactions worth 918 million riyals, the building materials and construction sector with a value of 422 million riyals, in addition to the professional and commercial services sector, which achieved transactions worth 746 million riyals.
Riyadh leads cities in spending volume
Geographically, Riyadh continued to lead the economic scene, accounting for the largest share of transactions with (70,959,000) transactions, with a total value of (4,638,984,000) riyals, confirming its position as a financial and commercial center of gravity in the Kingdom.
Jeddah came in second with 26.2 million transactions worth SAR 1.77 billion, followed by Dammam with 9.2 million transactions worth SAR 659 million. In the holy cities, Makkah recorded transactions worth SAR 594 million, and Madinah worth SAR 559 million.
This data is an important indicator for investors and economic analysts, as it reflects the stability of consumer purchasing power and the diversity of the spending basket between basic goods, luxuries and services, which enhances the attractiveness of the Saudi market as one of the largest consumer markets in the region.
