Saudi Arabia’s POS Transactions Rise 4% to Reach $3.6 Billion

Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale (POS) transactions climbed 4 percent to SR13.6 billion ($3.6 billion) in the week ending March 15, fueled by increased consumer spending across various sectors, according to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

Jewelry Sector Leads Growth

Jewelry transactions experienced the most significant surge, with spending rising by 31.1 percent to SR419.2 million. The number of transactions in this sector also increased by 29.5 percent, reaching 300,000. Clothing and footwear followed closely, recording a 22.8 percent rise in transaction value to SR1.5 billion, making it the third-largest POS category.

Hotel and Transportation Spending Increase

Hotel expenditures saw a notable 19.1 percent increase, reaching SR352.6 million, while the number of transactions in the sector rose 20.1 percent to 649,000. Transportation spending also grew, up 12.4 percent to SR889.2 million.

Restaurants and Cafes Maintain Steady Growth

Saudi consumers continued to spend on dining, with restaurants and cafes recording an 11.5 percent increase, totaling SR1.4 billion. Gas station expenditures saw a more modest 3 percent increase, reaching SR865.8 million, while spending on health services edged up 3.1 percent to SR837.2 million.

Declines in Education and Electronics Spending

Education spending saw the steepest decline, dropping 29.9 percent to SR140.6 million. This follows a significant surge of 144.6 percent the previous week, attributed to students returning from winter break. Electronics purchases also fell, down 5.4 percent to SR150.5 million, while recreation and culture spending dipped 1.7 percent to SR261.9 million.

Food and Beverages See Decline

Despite holding the largest share of total POS transactions, food and beverages spending fell by 6.5 percent to SR1.9 billion. Miscellaneous goods and services, which hold the second-largest share, experienced a slight 0.05 percent decline to SR1.66 billion. Collectively, food and beverages, miscellaneous goods, and clothing and footwear accounted for 37.4 percent of total weekly POS spending, amounting to SR5.1 billion.

Riyadh Leads Geographical Spending

Riyadh remained the top contributor to POS transactions, accounting for approximately 34.7 percent of the total spending. Transactions in the capital city rose 3.2 percent to SR4.7 billion. Jeddah followed with a 7 percent increase, reaching SR1.9 billion, while Makkah ranked third with an 8.2 percent rise to SR818.4 million.

Among cities with the smallest increases, Abha saw a modest 2.2 percent uptick, bringing its total POS transactions to SR142.8 million. Meanwhile, Makkah recorded 9.6 million transactions, marking a 6.5 percent increase, and Buraidah saw a 5.2 percent rise, reaching 4.2 million transactions.

These figures highlight Saudi Arabia’s continued economic activity, with robust consumer spending driving growth in multiple sectors.