RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions remained above the $3 billion mark for the fourth consecutive week, underscoring the resilience of consumer activity even as overall spending moderated in October.
According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, consumer spending stood at SR11.69 billion ($3.12 billion) during the week ending Oct. 25, reflecting a 4.2 percent decline from SR12.21 billion a week earlier.
The total number of transactions also fell by 4.5 percent to 212.7 million, compared with 222.7 million in the prior seven-day period.
Data revealed declines across most spending categories, led by laundry services, which saw the steepest fall — a 10.3 percent drop in value to SR42.58 million. Spending on jewelry followed, with a 9.1 percent decrease to SR390.69 million.
The airlines category saw the largest increase, up 18.5 percent to SR57.88 million, followed by freight transport and courier services, which rose 5.6 percent to SR33.63 million.
