Saudi consumer spending holds above $3bn  

Jeddah - Yasmine El Tohamy - RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s weekly point-of-sale spending remained above $3 billion in the week ending July 25, although transaction values extended their recent decline, central bank data showed. 

Total POS transactions fell 5.8 percent week on week to SR12.26 billion ($3.27 billion), according to the latest data released by the Saudi Central Bank.

The total number of transactions also declined 4.5 percent to 226.16 million from 236.70 million the previous week, extending a broader softening trend seen over several consecutive periods. 

Education was the only bright spot, with spending rising 6.2 percent to SR104.7 million even as the number of transactions in the category fell 6.4 percent, suggesting higher average ticket sizes rather than increased footfall. 

Jewelry leads declines 

The sharpest drop was recorded by the jewelry sector, with spending plunging 16.2 percent to SR346.8 million and transaction numbers down 11.1 percent, making it the weakest-performing category of the week. 

Personal care spending fell 8.8 percent to SR122.7 million, while laundry services dropped 8 percent to SR45.8 million and public utilities and services declined 7.5 percent to SR50.6 million. 

Some categories proved more resilient, with hotel spending edging down just 1.3 percent to SR295.3 million, while trade of vehicles and spare parts slipped 1.1 percent to SR491.7 million.

 
Food and beverages hold top spot 

The largest share of POS spending was held by the food and beverages sector, despite a 5.9 percent fall to SR1.91 billion.

Restaurants and cafes were responsible for the second-largest share, down 4.5 percent to SR1.64 billion, while apparel, clothing and accessories declined 7.4 percent to SR964.3 million, remaining the third-largest named category. 

 
Riyadh leads 

Riyadh, which continued to account for the largest share of POS activity nationally, saw transaction values fall 4.7 percent to SR4.16 billion, with the number of transactions down 3.3 percent to 72.57 million.

Jeddah recorded a 6.1 percent decline in transaction value to SR1.73 billion, while Dammam slipped 6.2 percent to SR578.9 million. 

Makkah posted the steepest decline among the Kingdom’s major cities, with transaction value down 7.4 percent to SR497.5 million and transaction numbers falling 5.4 percent. 

POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provide a real-time gauge of consumer spending patterns and the continued expansion of digital payments across Saudi Arabia. The figures also reflect the growing footprint of POS infrastructure beyond the Kingdom’s largest cities, reaching smaller urban centers and a widening range of service sectors. 

The steady rollout of digital payment channels supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of expanding electronic transactions and strengthening the Kingdom’s digital economy.