(Gulf Statistical Center): Saudi Arabia Witnesses Diversified Economic Growth Enhancing Its Presence in the Gulf Integration Process

Muscat, September 23 (KUNA) – The Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) confirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing diversified economic growth, an expansion in its investment base, and growth in non-oil, commercial, and investment sectors, thereby strengthening its presence in the GCC integration process.

In a report titled “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The Heart of the GCC Economy and Partner in Shaping the Future,” issued to mark the Kingdom’s 96th National Day on Wednesday, the Center presented a set of economic and social indicators that track the Kingdom’s transformation pathways and highlight their extension into the framework of joint GCC work.

The Center added that these indicators reflect the broadening economic and social interaction between the Kingdom and citizens of GCC member states. It noted that Saudi border crossings recorded the entry of 9.1 million GCC citizens in 2024, while the number of GCC citizens employed in the private sector in the Kingdom reached 7.69 million.

Economically, specifically in the capital market, the Center stated that the number of GCC member state shareholders in the Saudi stock market reached approximately 5.749 million, alongside 353 companies listed for GCC trading, “reflecting the extension of investment and ownership activities among GCC citizens.”

It pointed out that this interconnection extends to education and social services, with the number of GCC students in the Kingdom’s general education system reaching 10.096 million, and the number of GCC citizens covered by social services reaching 5.467 million in 2024.

The Center affirmed that these indicators reflect one aspect of GCC integration that goes beyond the movement of goods and capital to include the movement of people, education, work, and investment, thereby enhancing the interconnection of interests and benefits among GCC states.

Regarding Saudi economic indicators, the Center noted a real growth rate of 4.5 percent last year, with gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices reaching approximately $1.275 trillion, and net foreign direct investment inflows reaching about $32.5 billion.

It said that structural economic indicators show an expanding contribution of non-oil activities, which accounted for 72.5 percent of GDP, while the contribution of the non-oil private sector reached 54 percent, reflecting the growing role of productive and service sectors in the Saudi economy.

Furthermore, the volume of the Kingdom’s merchandise trade reached approximately $565.3 billion in 2025, reflecting expanded commercial activity and the growing importance of the Kingdom in regional and international trade flows.

The Center reviewed the Kingdom’s growing international presence through hosting global conferences and events in the fields of economy, technology, environment, and development, which enhance business activities and international and regional partnerships. In this context, it highlighted Riyadh’s hosting of the sixth UN Global Data Forum next November, as well as future major hostings such as “Riyadh Expo 2030” and the “FIFA World Cup 2034,” which serve as milestones strengthening the Kingdom’s presence in the global economy and supporting multiple sectors including tourism, aviation, hospitality, logistics, and technology.

In this context, it stated that international tourism revenues in the Kingdom reached $47.1 billion in 2025, an increase of 70.9 percent compared to 2019, reflecting the growing role of tourism within the pathways of Saudi economic diversification.

On the technology and innovation front, the Center clarified that the Kingdom is witnessing a growing presence of technology and artificial intelligence in the Saudi economy. Investment in AI reached approximately $2.03 billion in 2025, while the percentage of enterprises using AI technologies reached 33.1 percent.

It affirmed that these pathways demonstrate a growing field for GCC cooperation, particularly in data, advanced technologies, innovation, and research and development, amid the increasing need to build more integrated regional systems in the digital economy.

Regarding energy and the transition toward the future, the Center pointed to Riyadh’s continued pivotal role in the energy system alongside the expansion of renewable energy sources, with operational capacity for renewable energy projects reaching 12.3 gigawatts in 2025.

On the GCC level, it mentioned that the Kingdom’s share in the capital of the GCC Interconnection Authority reached 31.6 percent in 2024, reflecting its presence in the integration and interconnection system in the energy sector among GCC states.

The Center concluded its report by stating that these indicators reveal that the Kingdom’s transformation path “is not limited to economic diversification and expanding growth areas domestically, but intersects with a broader movement within GCC states extending from trade and investment to work, education, tourism, energy, and technology.”

It affirmed that with the diversification of economic sectors and the growth of investment and innovation fields in the Kingdom, “areas of interaction with GCC economies are strengthened, opening new horizons for partnerships and the development of value and supply chains, and enhancing opportunities for mutual benefit from economic and technological transformations.”

It also confirmed that the Saudi economy, changing in its structural features and sectors according to the observed indicators, is increasingly present in the GCC environment, and the transformations witnessed by the Kingdom have become part of a broader path toward a more interconnected and diversified GCC economy, better equipped to seize future opportunities.

It is worth noting that the Statistical Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, was established in 2011 to serve as the official authorized body for data, information, and statistics related to GCC states, as well as to enhance statistical and informational work among national statistical centers and planning authorities within them. (End) M.J.B / M.N.F