Saudi arabia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in saudi arabia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Market Overview
Last published date:

Saudi Arabia is a leading U.S. trade and investment partner and the largest economy in the Arab world.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic diversification initiative is generating significant opportunities for U.S. companies in many sectors, including new and emerging industries. Saudi Arabia is a prominent member of the G20 with a population of over 36 million residents and a median age of 29, which presents real economic growth opportunities. The country’s economy grew by 1.3 percent in 2024, supported by a 4.3 percent expansion in non-oil activity, including technology, construction, tourism, and private investment, among other sectors. Real GDP is forecasted to grow at 3 percent in 2025 and is expected to accelerate further in 2026.
Today, the $40.8 billion U.S.-Saudi Arabia trade relationship creates thousands of jobs in both countries. In 2024, U.S. goods and services exports to Saudi Arabia were $25.8 billion, and U.S. goods and services imports were around $15 billion according to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis. U.S. export of goods totaled around $13.42 billion. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Saudi Arabia was $532 million in 2024. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. foreign direct investment stock (FDI) in Saudi Arabia amounted to $10.8 billion in 2023, whereas Saudi Arabia’s FDI in the U.S. also amounted to $10.8 billion in the same year. 

The Saudi Arabian Government exercises control over the main economic activities of the country’s oil-based economy. Saudi Arabia has almost 17 percent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves, plays a principal role in OPEC, is the world’s largest exporter of crude oil, and is a large-scale oil refiner and producer of petrochemicals and natural gas. According to the Saudi Ministry of Finance, petroleum exports accounted for 70.5 percent of the country’s total exports in terms of value in 2024, and about 60 percent of the Saudi government’s revenues were oil based, a decline from 62 percent in 2023. 

Saudi Arabia continues with ambitious socio-economic reforms as part of the Vision 2030 initiative, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in 2016, which aims to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, improve the quality of life of Saudi citizens, and increase global engagement. Vision 2030’s political, institutional, and financial reforms, coupled with significant investment by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, are generating opportunities for foreign companies across industry sectors including infrastructure, artificial intelligence, Open RAN, energy, critical minerals, transportation, healthcare, defense, and aerospace. Major projects like the Qiddiya entertainment and sports development in Riyadh and Red Sea Global, a luxury tourism destination along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Coast, along with major global events like World Expo 2030 and World Cup 2034 also present opportunities for U.S. firms. Saudi Arabia also aims to become a major transport and logistics hub linking Asia, Europe, and Africa. Infrastructure projects related to this goal include various “economic cities” and special economic zones, which will serve as hubs for petrochemicals, mining, logistics, manufacturing, and digital industries. The Kingdom is also developing its tourism infrastructure at historic and natural sites, such as Al Ula, and the Saudi government continues to grow its Saudi Seasons initiative, which hosts tourism and cultural events throughout the year. 

In May 2025, President Trump visited the Kingdom, securing over $600 billion in deals related to energy security, defense, critical technology, infrastructure, and critical minerals. Among many deals, the visit secured the largest defense sales agreement in history at nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms. 

Political & Economic Environment:  Visit State Department’s website for background on the country’s political and economic environment.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility