The latest data prorated from 2019 shows that about two-thirds (66.2%) of products exported from Saudi Arabia were bought by importers in: China (18.9% of the global total), United Arab Emirates (8.9%), India (7.6%), Singapore (6.9%), Turkey (4%), Belgium (3.7%), Egypt (3.4%), Kuwait (3.3%), Malaysia (2.8%), Jordan (2.7%), United States (2.1%) and South Korea (1.9%).
Given Saudi Arabia’s population of 34.1 million people, its total $251.8 billion in 2019 exports translates to roughly $7,400 for every resident in the Middle Eastern country.
Saudi Arabia’s Top 10 Exports
Top 10
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Saudi global shipments during 2019. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Saudi Arabia.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$202.4 billion (80.4% of total exports)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $19 billion (7.5%)
- Organic chemicals: $12.7 billion (5%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $2.4 billion (0.9%)
- Aluminum: $2.13 billion (0.8%)
- Fertilizers: $1.13 billion (0.4%)
- Dairy, eggs, honey: $1.1 billion (0.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $724.5 million (0.3%)
- Gems, precious metals: $706.1 million (0.3%)
- Iron, steel: $699 million (0.3%)
Saudi Arabia’s top 10 exports accounted for 96.5% of the overall value of its global shipments.
Only two of these major product categories increased in value from 2018 to 2019, namely inorganic chemicals (up 3.9%) and dairy, eggs and honey (up 1.8%).
The leading decliner among the top 10 Saudi Arabia export categories was iron and steel via its -48.7% decrease.
Advantages
Overall Saudi Arabia earned an estimated $107.5 billion surplus in 2019, down by -32.5% from $43.4 billion in black ink one year earlier.
The following types of Saudi product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$193.7 billion (Down by -14.9% since 2018)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $15.7 billion (Down by -12%)
- Organic chemicals: $10.7 billion (Down by -12.3%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $1.5 billion (Up by 3.2%)
- Fertilizers: $1 billion (Down by -11.8%)
- Aluminum: $752 million (Down by -19.1%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $214 million (Reversing a -$503.4 million deficit)
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $94 million (Up by 159.7%)
- Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: $61.2 million (Up by 2.7%)
- Lead: $54.7 million (Up by 39.8%)
Saudi Arabia has highly positive net exports in the international trade of petroleum, first and foremost crude oil but also refined petroleum oils and petroleum gases. In turn, these cashflows indicate Saudi Arabia’s strong competitive advantages under the mineral fuels including oil category.
Opportunities
Below are exports from Saudi Arabia that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Saudi Arabia’s goods trail Saudi importer spending on foreign products.
- Machinery including computers: -US$16.5 billion (Up by 22.3% since 2018)
- Vehicles: -$15 billion (Up by 41.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$13.6 billion (Up by 9.3%)
- Ships, boats: -$5.4 billion (Up by 217.5%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$4.9 billion (Down by -4.6%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$3.8 billion (Up by 12.9%)
- Iron, steel: -$3.5 billion (Up by 93.6%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$3.1 billion (Up by 3.7%)
- Gems, precious metals: -$2.9 billion (Down by -10.5%)
- Cereals: -$2.8 billion (Down by -12.4%)
Saudi Arabia has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for machinery including computers, air conditioning machines and turbo-jets.
Companies
Saudi Export Companies
Twenty Saudi corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. The following companies are selected examples of leading companies headquartered in Saudi Arabia:
- Saudi Basic Industries (diversified chemicals)
- Saudi Arabian Fertilizers (specialized chemicals)
- Savola Group (food processing)
- Saudi Arabian Mining (diversified metals, mining)
- Petro Rabigh (diversified chemicals)
Wikipedia also lists exporters from Saudi Arabia. Selected examples are shown below.
- Saudi Aramco (oil, gas)
- Saudi Basic Industries (diversified chemicals)
- Saudi Arabian Fertilizers (specialized chemicals)
- Savola Group (food processing)
- Saudi Arabian Mining (diversified metals)
- Petro Rabigh (diversified chemicals)
- Almarai (food processing)
- Tasnee (petrochemicals)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following firms represent smaller exporters from Saudi Arabia.
- Al Abeiry PVC Hose Factory (tubes/pipes/hoses, building/monument granite, furniture)
- Batook Chewing Gum Industries (turpentine oils, menthol, wines)
- Saudi Aramco Oil (petroleum)
- Saudi Basic Industries (acyclic hydrocarbons, polyethylene)
- Yamama Granite Marble (building/monument granite, wooden boxes/cases/crates)
Searchable List of Saudi Arabia’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, the most valuable export products are crude oil followed by refined petroleum oils then the chemicals ethylene polymers.
The following searchable table displays 200 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Saudi Arabia based on data for 2018. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2017.
| Rank | Saudi Export Product | Value (US$) | 2017-8 Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crude oil | $183 billion | +37% |
| 2 | Processed petroleum oils | $26.2 billion | -17.3% |
| 3 | Ethylene polymers | $13.1 billion | +36.2% |
| 4 | Acyclic alcohols | $8 billion | +322.1% |
| 5 | Petroleum gases | $5.7 billion | +16.4% |
| 6 | Propylene/olefin polymers | $5.5 billion | +7.3% |
| 7 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $3.2 billion | +112.1% |
| 8 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $1.5 billion | +108.7% |
| 9 | Ethers | $1.5 billion | -65.4% |
| 10 | Fertilizer mixes | $1.4 billion | +9,451% |
| 11 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $1.2 billion | +1.4% |
| 12 | Nitrogenous fertilizers | $980.8 million | +8.3% |
| 13 | Amino-resins | $827 million | +2,272% |
| 14 | Copper waste, scrap | $752 million | +59% |
| 15 | Gold (unwrought) | $718.9 million | +33.6% |
| 16 | Acyclic hydrocarbons | $637.1 million | +13.5% |
| 17 | Unsaturated acyclic mono acids | $584.2 million | +207.4% |
| 18 | Ammonia | $578.5 million | +111.6% |
| 19 | Non-sublimed sulphur | $520.2 million | +1,296% |
| 20 | Petroleum oil residues | $512.5 million | no 2017 data |
| 21 | Saturated acyclic mono acids | $509.4 million | +63.4% |
| 22 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $407.6 million | +57.2% |
| 23 | Epoxides | $390.2 million | +17,499% |
| 24 | Iron or non-alloy steel products (semi-finished) | $384.8 million | +293,664% |
| 25 | Synthetic rubber | $382.9 million | +148.8% |
| 26 | Copper ores, concentrates | $370.4 million | +108.8% |
| 27 | Aluminum waste, scrap | $361.9 million | +19.7% |
| 28 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $323.2 million | -15.7% |
| 29 | Amino-compounds (oxygen) | $297.7 million | +18.2% |
| 30 | Phenols/phenol-alcohols | $270.8 million | +505.3% |
| 31 | Other nitrogen compounds | $269.3 million | -12.9% |
| 32 | Iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods | $264.2 million | +705.1% |
| 33 | Styrene polymers | $260.3 million | -5% |
| 34 | Mixed alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes | $214.4 million | -10.5% |
| 35 | Acrylic polymers | $180 million | +181.1% |
| 36 | Amine-function compounds | $177.9 million | +39.7% |
| 37 | Hydrocarbon derivatives | $177.2 million | +88% |
| 38 | Other coloring matter, luminophores | $174.7 million | -13.9% |
| 39 | Coated/laminated non-wovens | $147.5 million | +39% |
| 40 | Jewelry | $138.6 million | -64.6% |
| 41 | Precious metal waste, scrap | $131.2 million | +70,055% |
| 42 | Ketones, quinones | $123.7 million | +91.2% |
| 43 | Turbo-jets | $109.8 million | -59.2% |
| 44 | Stoppers, caps, lids, crown corks | $106 million | +0.7% |
| 45 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $105.4 million | -49.8% |
| 46 | Medication mixes in dosage | $105.2 million | -67.8% |
| 47 | Iron or steel tubes, pipes | $104.1 million | -28.3% |
| 48 | Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk) | $102.4 million | -31.8% |
| 49 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $95.1 million | -29.4% |
| 50 | Hydraulic cements | $84.3 million | +626.6% |
| 51 | Polyamides | $83.1 million | +550.8% |
| 52 | Dates/figs/pineapples/mangoes/avocadoes/guavas | $82.2 million | -57.6% |
| 53 | Synthetic yarn woven fabrics | $77.8 million | +286.9% |
| 54 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $77.3 million | -0.4% |
| 55 | Coiled iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods | $72.3 million | +138.2% |
| 56 | Sugar (cane or beet) | $67.7 million | -61.8% |
| 57 | Light vessels, fire boats, floating docks | $66.8 million | -71.1% |
| 58 | Vinyl chloride polymers | $59.3 million | -69.5% |
| 59 | Float/ground/polished glass in sheets | $59.1 million | -9.8% |
| 60 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $58.9 million | -43.2% |
| 61 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $58.7 million | -83.7% |
| 62 | Zinc ores, concentrates | $55.9 million | +266% |
| 63 | Iron or steel scrap | $52.8 million | +534.6% |
| 64 | Animal/vegetable fats, oils | $50.4 million | +535.5% |
| 65 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $49.7 million | +500.6% |
| 66 | Other organo-inorganic compounds | $48.5 million | +4,918% |
| 67 | Platinum (unwrought) | $47.7 million | +366,700% |
| 68 | Paper/paperboard waste, scrap | $47.3 million | -25.8% |
| 69 | Hair preparations | $47.2 million | -59.7% |
| 70 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $47.1 million | -8.8% |
| 71 | Iron ores, concentrates | $47 million | no 2017 data |
| 72 | Insulated wire/cable | $46.7 million | -88.4% |
| 73 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $46.1 million | -70.7% |
| 74 | Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation) | $43.6 million | +256,400% |
| 75 | Uncoated paper | $43.5 million | -21% |
| 76 | Initiators/accelerators, catalytic preps | $43 million | -56.7% |
| 77 | Unprocessed synthetic staple fibers | $39.8 million | -17.7% |
| 78 | Aluminum containers | $38.1 million | -76.1% |
| 79 | Lead (unwrought) | $36.9 million | -6.7% |
| 80 | Iron ferroalloys | $36.3 million | -31.5% |
| 81 | Crustaceans (including lobsters) | $36.1 million | -85% |
| 82 | Soya-bean oil | $34.3 million | +15.3% |
| 83 | Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners | $34.1 million | -82.6% |
| 84 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $33.7 million | -89.6% |
| 85 | Carboxyamid/amide-function compounds | $33.4 million | +196,594% |
| 86 | Sheep/lamb skin leather | $33.2 million | -38.3% |
| 87 | Cheese, curd | $32.5 million | -88.5% |
| 88 | Sodium/potash hydroxide, peroxide | $32.2 million | -84.9% |
| 89 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $31.4 million | -51.6% |
| 90 | Aircraft parts | $30.5 million | -90% |
| 91 | Phone system devices | $30.2 million | -83.6% |
| 92 | Bottles, flasks, jars, pots | $28.5 million | +49.7% |
| 93 | Magnesite, magnesia | $26.4 million | +59.5% |
| 94 | Electric storage batteries | $26.3 million | -62.7% |
| 95 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $26.1 million | -85.4% |
| 96 | Industrial fatty acids and alcohols | $25.4 million | +83% |
| 97 | Synthetic monofilament | $25.4 million | +7,656% |
| 98 | Flat-rolled other alloy steel products | $24.1 million | +94.6% |
| 99 | Cellulose fiber paper | $23.7 million | -40.1% |
| 100 | Plaster items | $23.7 million | -38.7% |
| 101 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $23.6 million | -57.3% |
| 102 | Heterocyclics, oxygen | $23.3 million | +4.8% |
| 103 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $23.3 million | -60.9% |
| 104 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $22.4 million | -85.4% |
| 105 | Fixed vegetable fats/oils | $22.2 million | -63.2% |
| 106 | Aluminum bars/rods | $22.1 million | -81.8% |
| 107 | Plastics waste, scrap | $22 million | +23% |
| 108 | Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil | $20.9 million | -24.6% |
| 109 | Synthetic filament yarn | $20.7 million | -15.4% |
| 110 | Unglazed ceramic flags, paving, tiles | $20.2 million | +5.4% |
| 111 | Flour/meal/starch/malt extract food preparations | $19.6 million | -33.8% |
| 112 | Other prepared/preserved vegetables (non-frozen) | $19.3 million | +62.8% |
| 113 | Carbon | $18.9 million | +137.4% |
| 114 | Not concentrated/unsweetened milk, cream | $18.7 million | -89.8% |
| 115 | Uncoated kraft paper | $18.1 million | -22.4% |
| 116 | Automobile parts/accessories | $17.8 million | -43.6% |
| 117 | Metal-containing ash, residues | $17.4 million | +4,910% |
| 118 | Other food preparations | $16.8 million | +43.8% |
| 119 | Concentrated/sweetened milk, cream | $16.7 million | -94.7% |
| 120 | Pasta, couscous | $16.6 million | -84.3% |
| 121 | Electrical converters/power units | $15.8 million | -79.1% |
| 122 | Aldehyde, paraformaldehyde | $15.8 million | -42.1% |
| 123 | Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances | $15.6 million | -47.2% |
| 124 | Goat/kidskin leather | $15.3 million | +26.6% |
| 125 | Zinc waste, scrap | $15.1 million | -3.9% |
| 126 | Prepared adhesives, glues | $15 million | -53.6% |
| 127 | Miscellaneous iron or steel tubes, pipes | $14.5 million | -65.7% |
| 128 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $14.4 million | +162.4% |
| 129 | Finishing agents, dye carriers, fixers | $14.1 million | -65.9% |
| 130 | Artificial and prepared waxes | $13.5 million | +43% |
| 131 | Machinery parts | $12.6 million | -93.4% |
| 132 | Iron and steel stranded wire, cables (uninsulated) | $11.8 million | -51% |
| 133 | Electric sound/visual signal bells or alarms | $11.8 million | +114.5% |
| 134 | Cruise/cargo ships, barges | $11 million | -96.2% |
| 135 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $11 million | -30.6% |
| 136 | Monument/building stones including marble | $10.7 million | +177,717% |
| 137 | Iron or non-alloy steel wire | $10.3 million | -28.2% |
| 138 | Organic surface-active goods, soap | $9.8 million | -93.6% |
| 139 | Nickel waste, scrap | $9.7 million | -72.7% |
| 140 | Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale | $9.2 million | no 2017 data |
| 141 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $9.2 million | -74.2% |
| 142 | Miscellaneous meat (preserved/prepared) | $9.1 million | -88.1% |
| 143 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $9 million | -82.2% |
| 144 | Copper bars, rods | $8.9 million | -61.6% |
| 145 | Household glassware | $8.9 million | -56.4% |
| 146 | Diamonds (unmounted/unset) | $8.6 million | +820.4% |
| 147 | Perfumes, toilet waters | $8.5 million | -89.5% |
| 148 | Refined copper, unwrought alloys | $8.4 million | +1.8% |
| 149 | Paint/varnish non-aqueous solution | $8.4 million | +27.4% |
| 150 | Tea (including flavored) | $8.3 million | -45.2% |
| 151 | Oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers | $8.2 million | -39.3% |
| 152 | Sheep/lamb rawhides, skins | $8.1 million | +2,415% |
| 153 | Titanium oxide | $8 million | -78.6% |
| 154 | Glass fibers | $7.9 million | -89.6% |
| 155 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $7.7 million | -60.9% |
| 156 | Granite, sandstone, other building stone | $7.7 million | no 2017 data |
| 157 | Natural honey | $7.3 million | -75.8% |
| 158 | Lead waste, scrap | $7.2 million | +793.4% |
| 159 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $7.2 million | -83.6% |
| 160 | Rubber tires (new) | $7.2 million | -64.3% |
| 161 | Sauces, mixed condiments, seasonings | $7.2 million | -76.2% |
| 162 | Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays) | $7.1 million | -69.9% |
| 163 | Miscellaneous heterocyclics | $7 million | +5,052% |
| 164 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $7 million | +47.3% |
| 165 | Miscellaneous machinery | $7 million | -75.6% |
| 166 | Packing sacks, bags | $6.8 million | -69.5% |
| 167 | Cars | $6.7 million | -99.4% |
| 168 | Lifting/loading machinery | $6.4 million | -53.1% |
| 169 | Vinyl acetate polymers | $6.4 million | -77.9% |
| 170 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $6.2 million | -60.5% |
| 171 | Miscellaneous/adhesive paper | $6.2 million | -83.5% |
| 172 | TV/radio/radar device parts | $5.9 million | -61.5% |
| 173 | Buttermilk, yogurt | $5.8 million | -97.7% |
| 174 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $5.8 million | -85.4% |
| 175 | Other organic compounds | $5.7 million | +1,723% |
| 176 | Self-adhesive plastic in rolls | $5.7 million | -88.7% |
| 177 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $5.6 million | -98.3% |
| 178 | Coated paper | $5.6 million | +280.3% |
| 179 | Iron or non-alloy steel angles, shapes, sections | $5.4 million | -85.4% |
| 180 | Derricks, cranes | $5.3 million | -95.2% |
| 181 | Monument/building stones, art | $5.3 million | +34% |
| 182 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $5.3 million | -70.2% |
| 183 | Orthopedic appliances | $5.2 million | +211.8% |
| 184 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $5.1 million | -82.4% |
| 185 | Copper wire | $5 million | -87.3% |
| 186 | Printed books, brochures | $4.9 million | -73.2% |
| 187 | Electric motors, generators | $4.9 million | -74.2% |
| 188 | Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches | $4.9 million | -79.2% |
| 189 | Iron or steel pipe fittings | $4.8 million | -94.8% |
| 190 | Survey/hydro/weather instruments | $4.8 million | -97.2% |
| 191 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $4.7 million | -88.4% |
| 192 | Bridge structures, parts | $4.6 million | -73.2% |
| 193 | Move/grade/scrape/boring machinery | $4.6 million | -93.5% |
| 194 | Rubber accelerators, plasticizers | $4.6 million | -74.1% |
| 195 | Cast/rolled glass in sheets | $4.5 million | -50.7% |
| 196 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $4.5 million | -38.1% |
| 197 | Zinc oxide/peroxide | $4.5 million | -86% |
| 198 | Polycarboxylic acids | $4.4 million | -64.9% |
| 199 | Sulphonated hydrocarbons derivatives | $4.4 million | +7,840% |
| 200 | Hydrogen, rare gases | $4.3 million | -38.6% |
These 200 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$266.1 billion or roughly 99.5% by value for all products exported from Saudi Arabia during 2018.
In macroeconomic terms, Saudi Arabia’s total exported goods in 2019 represent 13.3% of its overall Gross Domestic Product ($1.899 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 13.3% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2019 compares to 15.9% for 2018, Those metrics suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Saudi’s total economic performance albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate was 5.7% at December 2019 down from 6% one year earlier, according to Trading Economics.
Saudi Arabia’s capital city is Riyadh.
See also Saudi Arabia’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, Top Middle Eastern Export Countries and Saudi Arabia’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Middle East: Saudi Arabia. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Forbes 2019 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 6, 2020
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on July 6, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Saudi Arabia. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Wikipedia, Saudi Arabia. Accessed on July 6, 2020
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on July 6, 2020
