News

The results of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Statistics for Q3 of 2025 indicated that net inflows reached SAR 24.9 billion, representing an increase of 34.5% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, amounting SAR 18.5 billion. Net inflows also recorded a 5.2% increase compared to the previous quarter, during which they totaled SAR 23.7 billion. According to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Statistics publication for Q3 of 2025 issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). 
Publication’s results indicated that FDI inflows reached approximately SAR 27.7 billion in Q3 of 2025, representing a 4.4% increase compared to the same quarter in 2024, reaching SAR 26.5 billion. In addition, inflows rose by 3.3% compared to the previous quarter, during which they totaled SAR 26.8 billion.
Publication’s results indicated that FDI outflows amounted to approximately SAR 2.7 billion in Q3 of 2025, reflecting a decrease of 65.7% compared to the same quarter of 2024, reaching SAR 8.0 billion. In addition, outflows declined by 11.4% compared to the previous quarter, reaching SAR 3.1 billion.
It is noteworthy that FDI reflects a long-term relationship and a permanent interest of economic entities residing in an economy other than the Saudi economy. This means that an individual foreign investor or a group of foreign investors owns 10% or more of the voting power of shareholders’ rights.
 

Results of the Digital Economy Survey 2024 indicated an increase in the digital economy’s share in Saudi Arabia’s GDP, reaching 16.0% compared to 15.6% in 2023, an increase of 0.4 percentage points. According to the digital economy classifications, the core digital economy contributed 2.7%, while the narrow digital economy accounted for 2.4%. The broad digital economy represented the largest share, amounting to 10.9% of GDP.
Publication’s results indicated that the operating revenues of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector reached SAR 249.8 billion in 2024. Telecommunications activities recorded the highest revenues, amounting to SAR 133.9 billion, followed by computer programming activities with revenues of SAR 31.1 billion.
Operating expenditures for the sector totaled SAR 122.2 billion, while employee compensation reached SAR 29.2 billion. Telecommunications activities also ranked first in this category, with compensation amounting to SAR 16.1 billion.
In terms of foreign trade, the results indicated an increase in imports of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) goods from SAR 54.9 billion in 2023 to SAR 67.9 billion in 2024, representing a growth rate of 23.5%. Telecommunications equipment accounted for the largest share of these imports, with a value of SAR 36.8 billion.
Meanwhile, the value of exports and re-exports of ICT goods rose significantly, reaching SAR 25.8 billion in 2024 compared to SAR 11.8 billion in 2023, reflecting a growth rate of 118%
It is noteworthy that Digital Economy Statistics are based on a unified methodological framework that follows the Statistical Business Process Model and adheres to the international standards outlined in the Handbook on Measuring the Digital Economy issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, 2020). The methodology is also aligned with the G20 roadmap for measuring the digital economy. The digital economy is classified into three levels: core, narrow, and broad according to the nature of economic activities and the extent of their reliance on digital inputs.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reported that the value of Saudi Arabia’s services exports reached SAR 58.2 billion in Q3of 2025, while the value of services imports into Saudi Arabia amounted to SAR 120.8 billion during the same period.
According to the publication’s results, travel services ranked first among the Saudi Arabia’s  services exports, with a value of SAR 33.8 billion, followed by transport services in second place at SAR 9.7 billion. On the imports side, transport services ranked first with a value of SAR 32.3 billion, while travel services came second at SAR 30.8 billion.
GASTAT emphasized that it adopts a statistical methodology based on international best practices, in accordance with the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) and the Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification (EBOPS 2010). Data quality is ensured through the treatment of missing values and the review of internal and temporal consistency, in line with internationally recognized standards and practices.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued the Waste Accounts publication for 2024. According to its results, the quantity of recorded waste generated from various economic activities, in addition to household waste, reached 135.1 million tons, compared with 111.4 million tons in 2023.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing activity recorded the highest quantity of waste at 46.9 million tons, followed by construction activity at 32.2 million tons, then households at 20.5 million tons. Waste generated by manufacturing industries amounted to 18.3 million tons during 2024.
Results also showed that organic waste constituted the largest share of total recorded waste in 2024, accounting for 45.7%, with a quantity of 61.7 million tons. This was followed by construction materials waste at 22.8% and plastic waste at 5.8% of total waste.
In addition, industrial sector waste increased to 26.7 million tons, compared with 22.1 million tons in 2023. Waste from manufacturing industries accounted for 68.6% of total industrial sector waste, followed by waste from mining and quarrying at 26.4% and waste from electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply at 5.0%
Waste Accounts publication was prepared in accordance with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) Central Framework issued by the United Nations Statistics Division. It is based on data from GASTAT, as well as administrative data from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Waste Management.