Saudi Arabia's overall merchandise exports increased 98% in April 2022 compared to April 2021 and the value amounted to SR137.1 billion ($36.53 billion), up from SAR69.3 billion, according to official data.

 

This increase originated mainly from oil exports, which rose by SAR60.5 billion or 123% in the same period. The share of oil exports in total exports increased from 71.1% in April 2021 to 80% in April 2022, said data released by the General Authority for Statistics. 

 

Compared to March 2022, total merchandise exports decreased by SAR4.8 billion or 3.4%.

 

Non-oil exports (including re-exports) increased by 36.6% year-on-year in April 2022, rising to SAR27.4 billion from SAR20 billion in April 2021.

 

Non-oil exports decreased by SAR1.5 billion or 5.3% compared to March 2022. 

 

Meanwhile, merchandise imports increased by 11.2% (SAR5.6 billion) in April 2022. The value of imports amounted to SAR55.3 billion in April 2022 compared to SAR49.7 billion in April 2021. 

 

Imports also decreased by SAR0.6 billion or 1% compared to March 2022.

 

The ratio of non-oil exports to imports increased to 49.5% in April 2022 from 40.3% in April 2021, as a result of a higher increase in non-oil exports (36.6%) than imports (11.2%) over that period.

 

China, India top export destinations

In April 2022, exports to China amounted to SAR23.4 billion (17.1% of total exports), making the country the main destination for exports of Saudi Arabia. India and South Korea followed next with SAR14.5 billion (10.6% of total exports) and SAR12.0 billion (8.8% of total exports), respectively. Japan, US, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Egypt, Bahrain, and Belgium were the other countries that ranked in the top 10 destinations. 

 

Exports of Saudi Arabia to those 10 countries amounted to SAR90 billion, accounting for 65.6% of total exports.

 

Imports from China amounted to SAR11 billion (19.8% of total imports) in April 2022, making it the main origin for imports of Saudi Arabia. US and India followed next with imports of SAR5.4 billion (9.9% of total imports) and SAR3.8 billion (6.9% of total imports), respectively. United Arab Emirates, Japan, Germany, Egypt, Italy, France and Oman were the other countries that ranked in the top 10 countries for imports. Imports of Saudi Arabia from those 10 countries amounted to SAR35.2 billion,

accounting for 63.6%% of total imports.

 

Top five customs ports 

Imports worth SAR14.4 billion, corresponding to 26.1% of the total, entered the Kingdom from Jeddah Islamic Sea Port in April 2022.

Among the other major ports of entry for the imports were King Abdulaziz Sea Port in Dammam (18.2%), King Khalid Int Airport in Riyadh (13.2%), King Abdulaziz Int. Airport (6.3%), and Al Bat'ha Port (6.2%). Those five ports together accounted for 70% of the total merchandise imports of the Kingdom.