RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is forecasting real GDP growth of 4.6 percent in 2026, supported by an expected increase in the output of non-oil activities.
In the Ministry of Finance’s pre-budget statement, the projection for 2025 was set at 4.4 percent, in light of the sustained performance of the economy in the first half of the year.
The report said the 2025 forecast “is driven by an estimated 5.0 percent increase in non-oil activities, supported by increased domestic demands and improved employment rates, which contribute to increases in both private consumption and investment, while reinforcing the resilience of economic growth.”
The 2026 GDP forecast puts Saudi Arabia’s growth rate as exceeding the International Monetary Fund’s 3.1 percent projection for the global economy, and ahead of the IMF’s figures for the USA, China, Japan and the euro area.
The Ministry of Finance projectes government revenues at SR1.15 trillion ($305.87 billion), expenditures at SR1.13 trillion, and a deficit of SR166 billion for 2026.
