JEDDAH — Foreign investments in the Saudi economy have exceeded SR3 trillion by the end of the first quarter of 2025. According to the data released by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), foreign investments increased for the first time during this period to SR3,048.5 billion, a 16 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Foreign investments include foreign direct investment (FDI), which represents 33 percent of the total, equivalent to SR995.5 billion; portfolio investments, which include equity, investment fund shares, and debt securities valued at SR1,244.6 billion; and other investments valued at SR808.4 billion. It is noteworthy that foreign investment inflows into Saudi Arabia jumped by 24 percent during the first quarter of 2025, reaching SR24 billion (approximately $6.4 billion). On the other hand, outflows amounted to SR1.8 billion ($480,000), a 54 percent decrease, bringing net foreign investment inflows to SR22.2 billion ($5.9 billion), a 44 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). During the year 2024, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Saudi Arabia reached approximately $26 billion, exceeding the interim target set by the government. These indicators showed an increase in the attractiveness of the Saudi economy for foreign direct investment during the first quarter of 2025, despite the decline in outflows compared to the same period last year.
