Countries · Middle East
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter, and its oil income is invested abroad through the central bank and the Public Investment Fund.
At a glance
Net inflows of foreign direct investment were $32.6bn in 2025, against an average of $14.3bn a year in 2015–2024. Investors based in Saudi Arabia put a net $27.0bn into direct investment abroad in the same year, less than Saudi Arabia received. Foreign investors were net buyers of $6.47bn of shares in Saudi Arabia in 2025. Investors in Saudi Arabia held $141.2bn of US Treasury securities at the end of August 2026, +$8.2bn on a year earlier, and $212.8bn of US shares.
The current account swings with the oil price: a surplus of 11.7% of GDP in 2022 turned into small deficits in 2024 and 2025 in the World Bank figures. The government's Vision 2030 plan aims to attract more foreign direct investment. Saudi Arabia was invited to join BRICS in 2023; the BRICS website and some summit reports list it as a member, but Saudi Arabia has not publicly confirmed joining.
Saudi Arabia's holdings of US securities
Treasuries, shares and bonds issued in the US and held by investors in Saudi Arabia.
Holdings of US securities
End of month, Aug 2025 to Aug 2026, $bn.
Net purchases of long-term US securities
Each month, $bn. Positive means net buying.
The US Treasury records holdings by the country where securities are held in custody, which is not always the owner's country. Why this matters.
Direct and equity investment
Annual net flows, $bn. Direct investment means building or buying businesses; portfolio equity means buying listed shares and fund units.
Net flows by year
Direct investment into and out of Saudi Arabia, and foreign buying of its shares, $bn.
Current account and reserves
The balance of trade and income with the rest of the world, and the reserves held by the central bank.
Current account balance
Each year, $bn. A surplus means the country lends to the rest of the world.
Foreign exchange reserves, including gold
End of year, $bn.
The economy
GDP
Current US dollars, $bn. Dollar figures also move with exchange rates.
Growth and inflation
Real GDP growth and consumer price inflation, per cent.
All figures
Annual figures from the World Bank, as published. Download them for every country on the data page.
| Indicator | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (m) | 29.82 | 30.95 | 30.98 | 30.20 | 30.06 | 31.55 | 30.78 | 32.18 | 33.70 | 35.30 | 36.97 |
| GDP ($bn) | 693.4 | 689.3 | 741.3 | 886.6 | 888.9 | 768.0 | 982.7 | 1,239.1 | 1,218.6 | 1,254.1 | 1,276.9 |
| GDP per person ($) | 23,256 | 22,268 | 23,929 | 29,360 | 29,567 | 24,339 | 31,921 | 38,510 | 36,157 | 35,528 | 34,537 |
| Real GDP growth (%) | 4.7 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 1.7 | −3.8 | 6.5 | 12.0 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| Inflation (%) | 1.2 | 2.9 | −0.9 | 2.5 | −2.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Current account ($bn) | −55.04 | −26.97 | 9.08 | 70.03 | 32.40 | −34.69 | 44.91 | 145.34 | 25.95 | −16.25 | −32.74 |
| Current account (% GDP) | −7.9 | −3.9 | 1.2 | 7.9 | 3.6 | −4.5 | 4.6 | 11.7 | 2.1 | −1.3 | −2.6 |
| Reserves incl. gold ($bn) | 627.0 | 547.3 | 509.5 | 509.5 | 515.0 | 472.9 | 473.9 | 478.2 | 457.9 | 463.9 | 505.2 |
| Direct investment in ($bn) | 3.97 | 21.95 | 1.01 | 12.14 | 3.08 | 1.62 | 28.35 | 26.71 | 22.80 | 21.34 | 32.63 |
| Direct investment out ($bn) | 5.39 | 9.26 | 8.17 | 19.25 | 14.55 | 5.41 | 24.67 | 26.53 | 17.35 | 27.61 | 27.03 |
| Portfolio equity in ($bn) | — | — | — | 1.99 | 22.47 | 5.72 | 4.77 | 10.80 | 4.22 | 6.23 | 6.47 |
| Remittances ($bn) | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.29 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.34 | 0.35 |
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