RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sales transaction value held above $3.5 billion in the week ending May 9, reflecting resilient consumer activity despite softer spending across several sectors.
According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, total POS transactions reached SR14.2 billion ($3.8 billion) during the week, marking a 14.8 percent decline in transaction value compared to the previous week.
The total number of transactions declined 7.1 percent to 251.5 million, down from 270.7 million a week earlier, reflecting a broad-based pullback across nearly all consumer spending categories.
Hotel spending recorded the steepest drop during the week, falling 47.7 percent in value to SR185.9 million, with the number of hotel transactions declining 27.7 percent to 691,000.
Freight transport and courier services also saw a sharp retreat, with spending dropping 26 percent to SR64 million. Laundry services fell 22.9 percent to SR58.8 million, while telecommunications expenditure declined 24.1 percent to SR184.9 million.
