Short-term business revenues in Saudi Arabia rise supported by economic activities

Mining and quarrying lead the way

'Al-Eqtisadiah' from Riyadh

Monday, July 20, 2026, 14:7 | 1 minute read

The short-term operating revenue index in Saudi Arabia recorded an increase of 11.4% year-on-year in May, according to the Short-Term Business Indicators Statistics bulletin issued by the General Authority for Statistics.

The rise in the index was supported by growth in a number of economic activities, led by mining and quarrying, which recorded an increase of 38.7% compared to May of last year.

Manufacturing activity rose by 9.6%, while wholesale and retail trade and repair of vehicles increased by 3.6%, according to the announced data.

In contrast, construction and financial and insurance activities recorded increases of 2.5% and 12.9% respectively.

Read also: Main activities drive Saudi industrial production growth 5.1%

Monthly growth

On a monthly basis, the operating revenue index recorded an increase of 2.9% compared to last April, supported by a growth of 0.6% in manufacturing activity and 10.2% in mining and quarrying.

Wholesale and retail trade and repair of vehicles also rose by 1.3%, in addition to an increase in financial and insurance activities by 1.1%, according to the data.

Information and communication activities rose by 1.9%, while building permits issued during May last month recorded a year-on-year decline of 33.3%, reaching 5,056 permits compared to 7,584 permits in May last year.

Building permits also recorded a monthly decline of 25.7% compared to April 2026, when the number of permits issued was 6,803.

Read also: Real estate prices in Saudi Arabia rise 1.3% in Q2 pressured by residential

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