Saudi Business Confidence Index Rises to 54.5 in April: GASTAT
The Saudi Business Confidence Index rebounded to 54.5 points in April, indicating sustained optimism in non-oil sectors.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Business Confidence Index (BCI) surged to 54.5 points in April, up from 52.1 points in March, signaling continued optimism within the nation's non-oil economic sectors.
This uptick was revealed by data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), underscoring the resilience of Saudi Arabia's efforts towards diversifying its economy and reducing dependency on oil revenues.
The April BCI reading marks a recovery following a dip in March, which had seen the Index stand at 60.7 points in February and 61.6 points in January.
The decline was largely attributed to regional tensions stemming from Iran.
According to GASTAT, any BCI score above 50 indicates positive sentiment among businesses, while readings below that mark suggest pessimism.
The recent increase reflects growing confidence in the stability of economic activity and the sustained growth across various sectors.
The industry sector reported an optimistic level of 53.5 points for April, representing a 2.7-point rise from March.
This improvement was primarily driven by rising confidence among industrial establishments, particularly in expectations regarding overall performance, sales, and purchase orders.
In the services sector, the confidence level edged up to 53.9 points, compared to 52 in March, with businesses expressing heightened optimism concerning performance expectations, sales, and orders.
The construction sector reported the highest reading at 55.7 points, surpassing March's 53.
This increase was supported by positive outlooks on key business indicators.
GASTAT noted that the rise in BCI within the construction sector stemmed from elevated levels of optimism among businesses, particularly concerning performance expectations, sales, and purchase orders.
The Business Confidence Index is compiled based on surveys across non-oil economic sectors, categorized under the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities.
Recent data from GASTAT also indicated that Saudi Arabia's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by gains within the non-oil sectors.
Additionally, the Kingdom's economy expanded by 4.5 percent in 2025, with non-oil activities showing a growth rate of 4.9 percent for the same period.
This uptick was revealed by data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), underscoring the resilience of Saudi Arabia's efforts towards diversifying its economy and reducing dependency on oil revenues.
The April BCI reading marks a recovery following a dip in March, which had seen the Index stand at 60.7 points in February and 61.6 points in January.
The decline was largely attributed to regional tensions stemming from Iran.
According to GASTAT, any BCI score above 50 indicates positive sentiment among businesses, while readings below that mark suggest pessimism.
The recent increase reflects growing confidence in the stability of economic activity and the sustained growth across various sectors.
The industry sector reported an optimistic level of 53.5 points for April, representing a 2.7-point rise from March.
This improvement was primarily driven by rising confidence among industrial establishments, particularly in expectations regarding overall performance, sales, and purchase orders.
In the services sector, the confidence level edged up to 53.9 points, compared to 52 in March, with businesses expressing heightened optimism concerning performance expectations, sales, and orders.
The construction sector reported the highest reading at 55.7 points, surpassing March's 53.
This increase was supported by positive outlooks on key business indicators.
GASTAT noted that the rise in BCI within the construction sector stemmed from elevated levels of optimism among businesses, particularly concerning performance expectations, sales, and purchase orders.
The Business Confidence Index is compiled based on surveys across non-oil economic sectors, categorized under the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities.
Recent data from GASTAT also indicated that Saudi Arabia's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by gains within the non-oil sectors.
Additionally, the Kingdom's economy expanded by 4.5 percent in 2025, with non-oil activities showing a growth rate of 4.9 percent for the same period.
