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Saudi Arabia’s Non-oil Exports Rise 3.3% in Q1 of 2024

The Saudi government continues to support non-oil activities to achieve economic growth (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi government continues to support non-oil activities to achieve economic growth (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia’s Non-oil Exports Rise 3.3% in Q1 of 2024

The Saudi government continues to support non-oil activities to achieve economic growth (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi government continues to support non-oil activities to achieve economic growth (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports recorded an annual increase of 3.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) revealed on Thursday.

 

This increase was mainly attributed to a rise in the value of re-exports, which reached SR6.4 billion in March 2024, an 18 percent increase compared to SR5.4 billion in March 2023.

The International Trade Q1 2024 report by GASTAT pointed to positive trends in the Kingdom’s export sector.

The report revealed a significant 19 percent increase in exports of chemical and allied industry products in March 2024 compared to the previous month, reaching a value of SR6.5 billion in March.

Merchandise exports and non-oil exports also rose by five percent and six percent respectively in March, compared to February 2024.

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Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
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Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Diriyah, one of Saudi Arabia's giga-projects, has agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion with European firms and is in talks to attract more foreign capital, its CEO said.

Diriyah, located at a UNESCO World Heritage site outside the capital Riyadh, has been backed by PIF investments worth a total of around 20 billion riyals ($5.33 billion) in 2023 and 2024, and should get 12 billion riyals more next year, its CEO said.

It has recently agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion in total with an Italian developer and a French company and is in talks with several foreign investors looking to buy equity stakes in hotels and other real estate developments, Jerry Inzerillo told Reuters in New York this week.

"There's a lot of interest from America, a lot of interest from every country," he said. "We'll work with any country that can deliver quality and stay on time."

Foreign investors have already bought stakes in several projects in Diriyah, said Inzerillo, with more to come.

"A lot of people can see that it's built, it's doable; it's no longer renderings, no longer 'you wait and see' ... So now we're seeing a big spike in interest in foreign investment".

Inzerillo said investment priorities have changed because of upcoming events such as the Expo 2030 world fair, which Riyadh last year won the right to host. But the pace and scope of the Saudi giga-projects have not been scaled back, he said.

"It's a realignment, a re-prioritization ... not a reduction," he added.