https://arab.news/429pb
RIYADH: Business activity across Saudi Arabia in February helped lift the Kingdom’s Operating Revenue Index by 5.9 percent year on year, with manufacturing, mining and transportation all posting gains.
In its latest report, the General Authority for Statistics noted that the biggest annual rise came from the information and communication sector, which saw a 19 percent increase.
Arts, entertainment and recreation was up 17.5 percent, with transport and storage seeing a 17 percent annual rise.
These came alongside increases in larger economic sectors, with mining and quarrying up 6.5 percent, wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles sector rising 9.1 percent, and manufacturing showing a 0.1 percent expansion.
Monthly business indicators are closely watched as a gauge of private sector momentum, investment activity and the country’s progress in reducing reliance on hydrocarbons.
“On a monthly basis, the Index increased by 0.3 percent compared with January 2026. Issued building permits recorded an annual decrease of 18.8 percent compared with the same month last year, and a monthly decrease of 14.4 percent compared with January 2026,” said the report.
Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles rose by 0.6 percent month on month, while gains of 0.5 percent and 1.4 percent were seen in construction and the financial and insurance division, respectively.
The Employees Compensation Index recorded an annual gain of 9.8 percent, mainly supported by an increase in manufacturing by 9.9 percent, construction by 7.6 percent, and wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycle activities by 10.3 percent.
On a monthly basis, the ECI showed an increase of 0.7 percent, supported by a rise in manufacturing by 1.9 percent, construction by 0.6 percent, and wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycle activities by 1.2 percent.
Additionally, mining and quarrying increased by 0.4 percent, and financial and insurance activities grew by 1.1 percent.
The Short-term Business Statistics product is one of the economic statistical products aimed at measuring the performance of various activities of the economy in the short term through monthly indicators that monitor developments and growth rates for each activity.