https://arab.news/y6exv
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Business Confidence Index climbed to 54.5 points in April, up from 52.1 points in March, indicating sustained optimism in the non-oil sectors, official data showed.
According to the latest report released by the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom’s BCI stood at 60.7 in February and 61.6 in January, before the March dip, primarily driven by the conflict in the region due to the Iran war.
The April rebound in BCI indicates the resilience of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil sector, as the Kingdom continues to pursue its economic diversification journey by reducing its reliance on crude revenues.
According to GASTAT, any BCI reading above 50 indicates optimism, while a reading below that signals pessimism.
“This increase reflects prevailing optimism in the business sector, supported by establishments’ confidence in the stability of economic activity and continued growth across various sectors,” said the authority.
The industry sector recorded an optimistic level of 53.5 points in April, representing an increase of 2.7 points compared to the previous month. This increase was driven by rising confidence among industrial establishments, particularly in expectations for overall performance, sales, and purchase orders.
In the services sector, the confidence level rose to 53.9 points, from 52 in March, with establishments expressing heightened optimism, particularly around performance expectations, sales, and orders.
Construction recorded the highest reading among the three sectors at 55.7 points, up from 53 in March, supported by positive outlooks on key business indicators.
“This rise in BCI in the construction sector was driven by higher levels of optimism among establishments, particularly regarding expectations of overall performance, sales, and purchase orders,” added GASTAT.
The index measures optimism among companies regarding current business conditions and future expectations based on surveys across non-oil economic sectors, classified under the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities.
Earlier data released by GASTAT showed Saudi Arabia’s real gross domestic product grew 2.8 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, driven by gains in non-oil sectors.
The authority also reported that the Kingdom’s economy expanded 4.5 percent in 2025, while non-oil activities grew 4.9 percent during the year.