Saudi Arabia
Everything Palanor holds about Saudi Arabia, in one place: 189 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
AsiaMiddle East & North AfricaG20Middle East & Africa
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $1,277 billion (2025); record high since 1960; 1y +1.8%.
- Real GDP growth: 4.5% (2025); 48th percentile since 1961; highest since 2022; 1y +1.85 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 2.04% (2025); 52nd percentile since 1964; 1y +0.54 pts.
- Unemployment: 3.04% (2025); record low since 1991; 1y −0.48 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 46.2% of GDP (2025); 82nd percentile since 1990; highest since 2020; 1y +1.59 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: 1.57% of GDP (2025); 13th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.8 pts.
- S&P 500 companies naming it on earnings calls: 2.84% of companies (2026-10-21); 66th percentile since Dec 2021; highest since Jul 17, 2026; 1y −1.23 pts.
Country Posture
What Saudi Arabia’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 4.5 |
| Growth against its three-year average | -0.6 |
| Change in unemployment | -0.5 |
| Change in the employment rate | 0.2 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
202554Moderate buffers
0 = thin buffers · 100 = deep buffers
Moved most by current account (down) since the year before.
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue (2024) | 3.5 | 36 |
| Budget balance (2024) | -2.5 | 49 |
| Reserves, months of imports | 15.6 | 67 |
| Current account | -2.6 | 29 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | 0.13 | 77 |
| External debt | — | — |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 2.0 |
| Change in inflation | 0.5 |
| Currency move against the dollar | 0.0% |
| Conflict deaths per million | 0.1 |
| Political stability | 0.02 |
| Private credit, three-year change | — |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | — |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where Saudi Arabia is in its cycles
Where Saudi Arabia sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
High mass consumption96% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Late expanding95% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Withheld.
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20002025
Withheld: too little of its evidence is published and fresh.
- External balance stage
Credit disinvestor64% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Commodity-reliant89% · 2025
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
- Structural pressure
Building84% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
No reading.
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluentNot enough of this schema’s evidence is published for this country.
- Electoral cycle
No reading.
Post-electionMid-termPre-electionNo national legislative or executive elections; the Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shura) is wholly appointed by the King.
Passport reach
Where a Saudi Arabia passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside Saudi Arabia itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Visit
27.7%rank 90 of 199 · +2.2 pts in a year
short stays without a visa arranged in advance; 9 destinations in full.
Work
0.5%rank 112 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 1 destination in full.
Recorded changes
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What Saudi Arabia’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 46.2% of GDP, government consumption 20.6%, investment 31.6% and net exports +1.6% (exports 29.7%, imports 28.2%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for Saudi Arabia
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF cut its growth forecast for this year by 6.4 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 4.6 | -3.3 | 7.9 | 3.6 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 1,274 | 1,343 | 1,428 | 1,675 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 2,730 | 2,729 | 3,038 | 3,806 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 35,370 | 36,577 | 38,111 | 41,320 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | -2.6 | -3.5 | -1.3 | -3.1 |
| Government gross debt% of GDP | 31.8 | 35.4 | 37.3 | 48.7 |
| Government net debt% of GDP | 22.6 | 27.9 | 30.2 | 42.6 |
| Government overall balance% of GDP | -5.8 | -6.5 | -4.0 | -4.8 |
| Government primary balance% of GDP | -5.6 | -5.9 | -3.3 | -3.5 |
| Government net interest paid% of GDP · Palanor calc. | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor. Net interest paid is a Palanor calculation: the IMF's primary balance minus its overall balance.
Charts
The headline series
Discourse
How often S&P 500 companies name Saudi Arabia
14 of 445 S&P 500 companies named Saudi Arabia on an earnings call in the 90 days to 2026-10-21. 2.5% list it in the risk factors of their latest 10-K. Names only, counted by fixed rules set before any document was read; a mention says the country came up, not why.
Conflict
Organized violence
News
In the news
- Britain to deploy defensive air patrols over Saudi Arabia
Britain says it will conduct defensive air patrols over Saudi Arabia using Royal Air Force jets, but will not strike Houthi targets.
Palanor Wire2026-10-20neutral
- Saudi Arabia investigates air defense failure after Houthi airport attack
Saudi Arabia opened an investigation into its air defense failure after a Houthi attack killed at least 13.
Palanor Wire2026-10-12negative · -attack
- Riyadh and Sanaa airports struck after deadly Houthi attack
Riyadh and Sanaa airports hit in exchange after Houthis carry out deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in over a decade.
Palanor Wire2026-10-11negative · -attack
- Houthis claim Riyadh airport attack that killed 12, blame Saudis for Sanaa strike
Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Riyadh's airport that killed 12 and wounded 309, while accusing Saudi Arabia of striking their own airport in Sanaa.
Palanor Wire2026-10-11negative · -attack -killed -strike
- Houthi missile strikes Riyadh airport, wounding several
A Houthi missile struck Riyadh airport on Saturday, wounding several people and forcing the evacuation of Saudi Arabia's capital airport as the kingdom faces an escalating series of attacks.
Palanor Wire2026-10-10negative · -strikes
- Oil prices rise on Houthi attacks and US storm
Oil prices rose as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and a storm approaching U.S. production areas stoked supply concerns.
Palanor Wire2026-10-07negative · -prices rise -attacks
- U.S. pulls diplomats from Saudi Arabia as it reportedly readies Iran strikes after midterms
CNBC · Bluesky2026-10-22negative · -strikes
- One Saudi resident was killed in attacks Wednesday evening on King Fahad International airport in Saudi Arabia, authorities say.
The Associated Press · Bluesky2026-10-21negative · -killed -attacks
- Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said Wednesday that debris from an intercepted drone killed two people and injured two others at an Aramco-operated oil field in the country’s southeast.
The Associated Press · Bluesky2026-10-21negative · -killed
- Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program could outlive its government, so plan accordingly
Breaking Defense2026-10-21neutral
- Turkey planning mandate to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia under Mecca pact, ruling party official says reut.rs/3UagzOY
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21neutral
- Iran says Saudi Arabia, Houthis have not answered mediation offer reut.rs/4iaM1Ey
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-20neutral
- British fighter jets will be sent to help defend cities and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia amid a spike in missile and drone attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen, the British government announced on Tuesday.
The New York Times · Bluesky2026-10-20negative · -attacks
- Evidence showed that the former OpenAI employee had been chatting with a member of the Saudi royal family on WhatsApp while pursuing opportunities to permanently move back to Saudi Arabia during the country’s biggest AI push yet: arstechnica.visitlink.me/HSMy20
Ars Technica · Bluesky2026-10-20neutral
Headlines that name Saudi Arabia, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in Saudi Arabia
Palanor’s company graph holds 35 entities headquartered here (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
Signals
Every series about Saudi Arabia
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 189 in the Library.
Growth and output10 of 33
- GDP per Person, Historical (Maddison): Saudi Arabiarecord high since 1820; 1y +7.4%53,5172022
- GDP, Historical (Maddison): Saudi Arabiarecord high since 1820; 1y +8.7%1,823.92022
- Population, Historical (Maddison): Saudi Arabia98th percentile since 1820; 1y +1.3%34,080,560 people2022
- Saudi Arabia · GDP · USD bn (current)record high since 1960; 1y +1.8%$1,276.9bn2025
- Saudi Arabia · Real GDP Growth · % y/y48th percentile since 1961; highest since 2022; 1y +1.85 pts4.5%2025
- Saudi Arabia · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDP39th percentile since 1968; highest since 2020; 1y +0.0832 pts2.59% of GDP2025
- Saudi Arabia · Industry (incl. Construction) Value Added · % of GDP13th percentile since 1968; lowest since 2020; 1y −2.20 pts43% of GDP2025
- Saudi Arabia · Manufacturing Value Added · % of GDP96th percentile since 1968; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.288 pts15.8% of GDP2025
- Saudi Arabia · Services Value Added · % of GDP79th percentile since 1970; highest since 2020; 1y +2.06 pts48.9% of GDP2025
- Saudi Arabia · GDP per Capita · PPP USDrecord high since 1990; 1y +2.6%73,784 usd2025
Prices5 of 7
- Saudi Arabia Consumer Prices (12-Month Change)52nd percentile since Jan 1991; 1y −0.485 pts1.82% y/y2026-08-01
- Saudi Arabia Consumer Price Index (OECD)record high since Jan 2010; 1y +1.8%121.2 index2026-08-01
- Saudi Arabia Inflation Rate (CPI, % y/y, OECD)40th percentile since Jan 2011; 1y −0.49 pts1.82% y/y2026-08-01
- Saudi Arabia Purchasing Power Since 2019 (100 = January 2019)record low since Jan 2019; 1y −1.8%84.52026-08-01
- Saudi Arabia · Inflation · CPI % y/y52nd percentile since 1964; 1y +0.54 pts2.04%2025
Jobs and people at work3 of 4
- Saudi Arabia · Female Labor Force Participation · %90th percentile since 1990; 1y +0.26 pts33.6%2025
- Saudi Arabia · Male Labor Force Participation · %96th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.19 pts83.3%2025
- Saudi Arabia · Unemployment Rate · %record low since 1991; 1y −0.48 pts3.04%2025
Money, rates and credit5
- Saudi Arabia Policy Rate72nd percentile since Jan 2000; highest since Nov 2025; 1y −0.25 pts4.5%2026-09-01
- Saudi Central Bank Total Assets · % of Saudi Arabia GDP28th percentile since Jan 2000; 1y −0.678 pts40.6% of GDP2026-01-01
- Saudi Arabia · Bank Nonperforming Loans Ratio (IMF FSI)record low since Jan 2009; 1y −0.208 pts1.04%2025-10-01
- Saudi Arabia · Bank Regulatory Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets (IMF FSI)98th percentile since Jan 2009; highest since Apr 2018; 1y +0.826 pts20.5%2025-10-01
- Saudi Arabia · Bank Return on Equity (IMF FSI)64th percentile since Jan 2009; lowest since Apr 2024; 1y −0.0481 pts15%2025-10-01
Government and debt8
- Saudi Arabia · Government Spending · % GDP18th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.5%29.1 pct_gdp2025
- Saudi Arabia · Budget Balance · % GDP30th percentile since 1991; lowest since 2020; 1y −3.34-5.8 pct_gdp2025
- Saudi Arabia · Government Debt · % GDP56th percentile since 1991; highest since 2005; 1y +22.7%31.7 pct_gdp2025
- Saudi Arabia · Net Interest · % GDP53rd percentile since 1991; highest since 2010; 1y +146.1%0.22 pct_gdp2025
- Saudi Arabia · Primary Balance · % GDP27th percentile since 1991; lowest since 2020; 1y −3.21-5.58 pct_gdp2025
- Saudi Arabia · Budget Balance · % GDP (central govt)50th percentile since 2010; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.69-2.46 pct_gdp2024
- Saudi Arabia · Interest · % of Revenue (central govt)record high since 2010; 1y +0.42 pts3.54%2024
- Saudi Arabia · Interest · % of Expense (central govt)record high since 2010; 1y +0.44 pts3.41%2023
Trade and capital flows10 of 13
- Saudi Arabia's Share of Foreign-Held U.S. Equities · %23rd percentile since Sep 2011; lowest since Jul 2018; 1y −0.224 pts0.85% of foreign holdings2026-08-01
- U.S. Equities Held in Saudi Arabia · USD bn92nd percentile since Sep 2011; 1y −2.8%212.8 $ billions2026-08-01
- Saudi Arabia's Share of Foreign-Held U.S. Treasuries28th percentile since Jan 2012; 1y +0.075 pts1.51% of foreign holdings2026-08-01
- U.S. Treasury Securities Held in Saudi Arabia76th percentile since Jan 2012; 1y +6.2%141.2 $ billions2026-08-01
- Saudi Arabia · Net International Investment Position (IMF)9th percentile since Jan 2012; 1y −7.1%$707.7bn2026-04-01
- Saudi Arabia · Current Account · % GDP34th percentile since 1971; lowest since 2020; 1y −1.26-2.56 pct_gdp2025
- U.S. Goods Trade With Saudi Arabia (Exports + Imports)50th percentile since 1985; lowest since 2020; 1y −5.4%24.6 $ billions2025
- Saudi Arabia's Share of U.S. Goods Traderecord low since 1987; 1y −0.048 pts0.44% of U.S. goods trade2025
- Gulf Sovereign Funds · Public Investment Fund US Stock Holdings85th percentile since Dec 2018; highest since Jun 2022; 1y +124.9%40.8 USD billions2026-06-30
- Gulf Sovereign Funds · Saudi Central Bank US Stock Holdingsrecord high since Mar 2020; 1y +211.4%7.63 USD billions2026-06-30
Energy and resources9 of 13
- Crude Oil Production · Saudi Arabia19th percentile since Jan 1973; 1y −26.4%7,2902026-06-01
- Saudi Arabia: Fuel Share of Exports16th percentile since 1996; lowest since 2021; 1y −0.666 pts78.7% of merchandise exports2025
- Saudi Arabia · Carbon Intensity of Electricityrecord low since 2000; 1y −1.3%679.8 gCO2e/kWh2025
- Saudi Arabia · Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +2.8%471.4 TWh2025
- Saudi Arabia · Gas Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +2.19 pts63.7% of generation2025
- Saudi Arabia · Other Fossil Fuels Share of Electricity Generationrecord low since 2000; 1y −3.97 pts32.1% of generation2025
- Saudi Arabia · Solar Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +1.79 pts3.86% of generation2025
- Saudi Arabia · Wind and Solar Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +1.78 pts4.19% of generation2025
- Saudi Arabia · Wind Share of Electricity Generation90th percentile since 2000; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.01 pts0.34% of generation2025
Conflict and geopolitics7 of 11
- U.S. Active-Duty Troops in Saudi Arabia (DMDC)6th percentile since Sep 2008; lowest since Mar 2025; 1y −3.3%261 persons2026-08-31
- Saudi Arabia · Organized-Violence Deaths (UCDP, annual)66th percentile since 1989; 1y +5.005 deaths2025
- Saudi Arabia · State-Based Conflict Deaths (UCDP, annual)70th percentile since 1989; 1y +5.005 deaths2025
- Saudi Arabia · Governance · WGI six-dimension meanrecord high since 1996; 1y +33.0%0.13 index2025
- Saudi Arabia · Political Stability · WGI91st percentile since 1996; highest since 2003; 1y +0.0340.02 index2025
- Saudi Arabia · Regulatory Quality · WGIrecord high since 1996; 1y +6.4%0.67 index2025
- Saudi Arabia · Rule of Law · WGI94th percentile since 1996; 1y −2.5%0.27 index2025
Aid in and out3
- Saudi Arabia · Humanitarian Funding (FTS) · US$ billionsrecord high since 2000; 1y +30.8%2.49 US$ billions2025
- Saudi Arabia · Foreign Aid (Official Development Assistance) · US$ billions75th percentile since 2015; 1y +1.5%5.55 US$ billions2024
- Saudi Arabia · ODA as % of GNIlowest since 2020; 1y −0.06 pts0.45% of GNI2024
Migration3 of 5
- International Migrant Stock: Saudi Arabia (UN)record high since 199013,683,841 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: Saudi Arabia (UN)56th percentile since 199040.3% of population2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: Saudi Arabia (UN)8.032024
AI stance and technology1 of 3
- AI User Share: Saudi Arabia (Microsoft AI Diffusion)1y +7.70 pts31.4% of people aged 15-642026-06-30
Climate and the physical world8 of 10
- NO2 Pollution Hotspots: Saudi Arabia (Sentinel-5P, monthly)record high since May 2018; 1y +7.2%3.512026-09-01
- NO2 Pollution: Saudi Arabia (Sentinel-5P, monthly)94th percentile since May 2018; 1y +2.0%1.342026-09-01
- Saudi Arabia CO₂ Emissions (Global Carbon Budget)97th percentile since 1936; highest since 2021; 1y +2.2%692.1 Mt CO₂2024
- Saudi Arabia Cumulative CO₂ Emissions (Global Carbon Budget)record high since 1936; 1y +3.8%19 Gt CO₂2024
- Saudi Arabia · Arable Land · % of landrecord high since 1961; 1y +0.2 pts2% of land area2024
- Saudi Arabia · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per personrecord low since 1961; 1y −3.8%752022
- Saudi Arabia · Forest Area · % of landrecord high since 1990; 1y unchanged1.29%2024
- Saudi Arabia · PM2.5 Exposure · µg/m³24th percentile since 1990; lowest since 2014; 1y −8.5%55.5 µg/m³2020
Health and living standards5
- Saudi Arabia · Life Expectancy at Birth · yearsrecord high since 1960; 1y +0.3%79 years2024
- Saudi Arabia · Access to Electricity · % of populationrecord high since 1990; 1y unchanged100%2024
- Saudi Arabia · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +0.8%0.9 index2023
- Saudi Arabia · Basic Drinking Water Access · % of populationrecord low since 2000; 1y unchanged99%2024
- Saudi Arabia · Undernourishment · % of populationrecord low since 2001; 1y unchanged2.5%2024
Sentiment and attention1
- Saudi Arabia · Search Attention83rd percentile since Sep 2021; lowest since Aug 23, 2026; 1y −16.7%30 index2026-09-20
More about this country3 of 13
- Saudi Arabia · Exchange Rate per US Dollar (IMF)50th percentile since Jan 1957; 1y unchanged3.75 per USD2026-09-01
- Saudi Arabia · Total Reserves incl. Gold (IMF)91st percentile since Dec 1957; lowest since Jan 2026; 1y +10.9%$530.1bn2026-07-01
- Saudi Arabia Real Effective Exchange Rate66th percentile since Jan 1994; lowest since Feb 2026; 1y −1.3%99.62026-08-01
Peers
Elsewhere in Asia
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
AfghanistanArmeniaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBhutanBruneiCambodiaChinaCyprusGeorgiaHong KongIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelJapanJordanKazakhstanKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLebanonMacaoMalaysiaMaldivesMongoliaMyanmarNepalNorth KoreaOmanPakistanPalestinePhilippinesQatarSingaporeSouth KoreaSri LankaSyriaTaiwanTajikistanThailandTimor-LesteTürkiyeTurkmenistanUnited Arab EmiratesUzbekistanVietnamYemen