That estimated dollar metric grew by 3.6% from $135.2 billion five years earlier in 2018.
Year over year, Saudi Arabian spending on imports decreased by -8.1% compared to $152.3 billion for 2021.
In 2022, Saudi Arabia’s largest 5 imported products by spending were cars, processed petroleum oils, phone devices including smartphones, medication mixes in dosage, and unwrought gold. Collectively, that quintet of major imports represented almost one-fifth (18.6%) of total Saudi imports by value.
Top Suppliers for Saudi Arabian Imports
The latest data from 2021 shows that 67.7% of products imported into Saudi Arabia were supplied by exporters in: mainland China (20.4% of the Saudi Arabian total), United States of America (10.2%), United Arab Emirates (8.2%), India (5.3%), Germany (4.9%), Japan (4%), Italy (3%), Egypt (2.8%), France (2.7%), United Kingdom (2.4%), South Korea (2.2%) and Bahrain (1.7%).
From a continental perspective, 53.7% of Saudi Arabia’s total imports by value were purchased from suppliers in Asian countries. European trade partners provided 26.1% of products imported into Saudi Arabia while another 11.9% worth of goods originated from suppliers in North America.
Smaller percentages came from Africa (4.4%), Latin America (2.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1.3%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Saudi Arabia’s population of 34.8 million people, its total $140 billion in 2022 imports translates to roughly $4,000 in yearly product demand from every person in the Middle Eastern nation. That dollar amount falls below Saudi Arabia’s average $4,300 per person during 2021.
Saudi Arabia’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Saudi Arabia’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Saudi Arabia.
- Vehicles: US$17.6 billion (12.5% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $15.9 billion (11.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $11 billion (7.8%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $5.58 billion (4%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $5.55 billion (4%)
- Cereals: $4.45 billion (3.2%)
- Iron, steel: $4.1 billion (3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $3.9 billion (2.8%)
- Gems, precious metals: $3.8 billion (2.7%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $3.8 billion (2.7%)
Saudi Arabia’s top 10 imports accounted for 54% of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs and prefabricated buildings posted the fastest growth in value among the top 10 import categories, up by 42.9% from 2021 to 2022.
In second place for higher purchases were cereals via a 29.7% rise, propelled by greater spending on barley, corn and rice.
Gems and precious metals incurred the severest decline among the top 10 Saudi imports, falling -29.5% year over year. That category was pulled lower by reduced spending on imported jewelry and gold.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under the sections below.
Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Automotive Imports
In 2022, Saudi importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$12.6 billion (up 5.9% from 2021)
- Trucks: $1.8 billion (up 77.9%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $929.3 million (down -23.2%)
- Tractors: $699.2 million (up 197.8%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $674.2 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Special purpose vehicles: $323 million (up 17.5%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $164.5 million (down -2.9%)
- Trailers: $142 million (down -20%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $66.8 million (down -11.1%)
- Motorcycles: $53.7 million (up 61.2%)
Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of tractors (up 197.8%), trucks (up 77.9%) then motorcycles (up 61.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
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.
Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Machinery Imports
In 2022, Saudi importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Turbo-jets: US$1.8 billion (up 196.1% from 2021)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.3 billion (down -12.9%)
- Air conditioners: $1.2 billion (up 4.1%)
- Computers, optical readers: $946.9 million (down -56.6%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $845.1 million (up 95.9%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $845.1 million (up 94.3%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $741.3 million (up 32.8%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $706.2 million (down -14.6%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $655.1 million (down -17.3%)
- Machinery parts: $590 million (up 0.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of turbo-jets (up 196.1%), heavy machinery like bulldozers, excavators or road rollers (up 95.9%) then miscellaneous machinery (up 94.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
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.
Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Electrical Product Imports
In 2022, Saudi importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronic products.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$3.1 billion (down -54.7% from 2021)
- Electrical converters/power units: $700 million (up 28.9%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $665 million (down -2.3%)
- Electric storage batteries: $587.3 million (up 66.3%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $499.6 million (up 3.7%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $455.5 million (down -3.6%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $435.2 million (up 61.6%)
- High-voltage switches, fuses: $406.9 million (down -22.4%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $400.2 million (down -28.8%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $335.2 million (up 521.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of solar power diodes and semi-conductors (up 521.1%), electric storage batteries (up 66.3%) then electrical or optical circuit boards and panels (up 61.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
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.
Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Mineral Fuel Imports & Related Products
In 2022, Saudi importers spent the most on the following subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$4.4 billion (down -34.5% from 2021)
- Crude oil: $649 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Petroleum oil residues: $244.9 million (up 32.1%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $122.6 million (up 306.4%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $43.3 million (up 65.3%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $38.3 million (down -22.8%)
- Peat: $19.2 million (up 77.1%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $12 million (down -62.8%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $9.6 million (up 11.8%)
- Petroleum gases: $3.6 million (down -91.5%)
Among these import subcategories, Saudi purchases of high temperature distilled coal tar oils (up 306.4%), peat (up 77.1%) then coal including solid fuels made from coal (up 65.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels and related products among Saudi businesses and consumers.
See also Saudi Arabia’s Top 10 Exports, China’s Top Trading Partners, India’s Top Trading Partners, Turkey’s Top Trading Partners and Singapore’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Middle East: Saudi Arabia. Accessed on August 7, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on August 7, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 7, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 7, 2023
Wikipedia, Saudi Arabia. Accessed on August 7, 2023
