The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Saudi Arabia’s import purchases during 2020. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Saudi Arabia.

1. Machinery including computers: US$15.4 billion (11.8% of total imports)
2. Vehicles: $14.1 billion (10.7%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: $12.7 billion (9.7%)
4. Pharmaceuticals: $5.6 billion (4.3%)
5. Iron, steel: $4.5 billion (3.4%)
6. Mineral fuels including oil: $4.4 billion (3.3%)
7. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $3.7 billion (2.8%)
8. Articles of iron or steel: $3.4 billion (2.6%)
9. Plastics, plastic articles: $3.3 billion (2.5%)
10. Cereals: $2.9 billion (2.2%)

Saudi Arabia’s top 10 imports accounted for 53.3% of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.

Mineral fuels including oil posted the fastest-growing increase in value among the top 10 import categories, up by 121% from 2019 to 2020.

In second place for higher purchases was the iron or steel materials category thanks to its 7.7% gain. Trailing that were pharmaceuticals up 5.8%.

Electrical machinery and equipment incurred the severest drop among the top 10 Saudi imports, falling -11.5% year over year.

Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under adjacent virtual folder tabs is at the more granular 4-digit level.

In 2020, Saudi importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.

1. Computers, optical readers: US$2.1 billion (up 11.5% from 2019)
2. Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.5 billion (up 1.6%)
3. Air conditioners: $1.3 billion (up 14.1%)
4. Liquid pumps and elevators: $842.9 million (down -3.5%)
5. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $624.9 million (down -19.7%)
6. Air or vacuum pumps: $590.9 million (down -18%)
7. Refrigerators, freezers: $578.2 million (up 14.8%)
8. Machinery parts: $574 million (down -50.1%)
9. Turbo-jets: $564.1 million (down -17.2%)
10. Piston engines: $551 million (down -27.2%)

Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of refrigerators and freezers (up 14.8%), air conditioners (up 14.1%) then computers including optical readers (up 11.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Saudi businesses and consumers.

In 2020, Saudi importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.

1. Tractors: US$10.9 billion (up 22.8% from 2019)
2. Special purpose vehicles: $1.3 billion (up 39%)
3. Motorcycles: $964 million (up 11%)
4. Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $872.7 million (up 80.4%)
5. Public-transport vehicles: $214.8 million (up 499.9%)
6. Armored vehicles, tanks: $258.8 million (up 27.5%)
7. Cars: $160.3 million (down -20.4%)
8. Trailers: $55.1 million (down -22.2%)
9. Trucks: $18 million (up 34.7%)
10. Automobile parts/accessories: $39.8 million (up 9%)

Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of public-transport vehicles (up 499.9%), bicycles plus other non-motorized cycles (up 80.4%) then special purpose vehicles (up 39%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Saudi businesses and consumers.

In 2020, Saudi importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronic products.

1. Phone system devices including smartphones: US$6.2 billion (down -14.2% from 2019)
2. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $623.4 million (down -5.9%)
3. Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $500 million (up 14.9%)
4. Electrical converters/power units: $482 million (down -2.8%)
5. Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $458.5 million (up 9.7%)
6. Insulated wire/cable: $443 million (down -22.7%)
7. High-voltage switches, fuses: $352.6 million (up 34.6%)
8. Electric storage batteries: $322.4 million (down -12.7%)
9. TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras: $322.4 million (up 11%)
10. Electric generating sets, converters: $315.6 million (up 8.4%)

Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of high-voltage switches or fuses (up 34.6%), electric water heaters and hair dryers (up 14.9%) then TV receivers, transmitters and digital cameras (up 11%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Saudi businesses and consumers.

In 2020, Saudi importers spent the most on the following subcategories of pharmaceuticals.

1. Medication mixes in dosage: US$4.2 billion (up 4.6% from 2019)
2. Blood fractions (including antisera): $916.5 million (up 4.9%)
3. Medication mixes not in dosage: $215.8 million (up 51.7%)
4. Packaged dressings: $138.3 million (up 1.5%)
5. Miscellaneous pharmaceutical preparations: $138 million (up 5.2%)
6. Dried organs, heparin: $4.2 million (down -42.3%)

Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of medication mixes not in dosage (up 51.7%), sutures and other special pharmaceutical goods (up 5.2%) then blood fractions including antisera (up 4.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2019 to 2020.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported pharmaceuticals among Saudi businesses and consumers.