Saudi PMI advances to 56.4 pts in August

03/09/2025 Argaam Special
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag


The seasonally adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), formerly S&P Global Saudi Arabia PMI, rose to 56.4 points in August 2025.

 

Business conditions in the Kingdom’s non-oil private sector improved as business activity expanded at a slightly faster pace during the month compared to July, supported by a sharp rise in new orders. Employment levels also saw another historically strong increase, while purchasing activity grew in August, contributing to a further rise in input costs, which in turn led to higher selling prices.

 

Production growth improved during August, with a notable overall hike. However, this was better than level recorded in July, which was the lowest in 42 months. Companies participating in the study indicated that the improved economic conditions, strong sales, and proactive marketing efforts boosted activities.

 

New order volumes saw a moderate uptick, partly due to a renewed increase in export sales. Companies specifically cited increased marketing efforts in international markets and closer collaboration with clients across the GCC region.

 

In addition, firms benefited from improved customer demand and ongoing domestic infrastructure projects. Around 28% of surveyed companies reported an increase in total new orders, nearly three times the proportion of those reporting a decline (9%).

 

Growth was particularly notable in the services sector.

 

Saudi Arabia PMI since 2023*

Month

Index (Points)

Change (Points)

Change (%)

Jan. 2023

58.2

+ 1.3

+2.3%

February

59.8

+ 1.6

+2.7%

March

58.7

(1.1)

(1.8%)

April

59.6

+ 0.9

+1.5%

May

58.5

(1.1)

(1.8%)

June

59.6

+ 1.1

+1.9%

July

57.7

(1.9)

(3.2%)

August

56.6

(1.1)

(1.9%)

September

57.2

+ 0.6

+1.1%

October

58.4

+ 1.2

+2.1%

November

57.5

(0.9)

(1.5%)

December

57.5

--

--

Jan. 2024

55.4

(2.1)

(3.7%)

February

57.2

+ 1.8

+3.2%

March

57.0

(0.2)

(0.3%)

April

57.0

--

--

May

56.4

(0.6)

(1.1%)

June

55.0

(1.4)

(2.5%)

July

54.4

(0.6)

(1.1%)

August

54.8

+ 0.4

+0.7%

September

56.3

+ 1.5

+2.7%

October

56.9

+ 0.6

+1.1%

November

59.0

+ 2.1

+3.7%

December

58.4

(0.6)

(1.0%)

Jan. 2025

60.5

+ 2.1

+3.6%

February

58.4

(2.1)

(3.5%)

March

58.1

(0.3)

(0.5%)

April

55.6

(2.5)

(4.3%)

May

55.8

+0.2

+0.4%

June

57.2

+1.4%

+2.5%

July

56.3

(0.9)

(1.6%)

August

56.4

+0.1%

(0.2%)

*Change on a monthly basis.

 

The PMI is a weighted average of the following five indices:

 

Riyad Bank PMI Details

Sub-index

Percentage (%)

New orders

30%

Production

25%

Employment

20%

Suppliers’ delivery times

15%

Stocks of purchases

10%

Total

100%

Comments {{getCommentCount()}}

Be the first to comment

loader Train
Sorry: the validity period has ended to comment on this news
Opinions expressed in the comments section do not reflect the views of Argaam. Abusive comments of any kind will be removed. Political or religious commentary will not be tolerated.