Saudi Consumer Spending Holds Above $3.5 Billion

Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia stayed above the equivalent of $3.5 billion for the week ending 12 September 2026, reaching SR13.79 billion (about $3.68 billion) in point-of-sale transactions, even as the back-to-school boost faded and everyday retail activity settled into a steadier pattern.

The figure marked a 12.9% decline from the previous week, driven mainly by easing education-related spending after the start of the academic year. The number of point-of-sale transactions came in at 254.91 million, down 4.8% compared with the prior week.

For the earlier week ending 5 September 2026, spending was higher at SR15.8 billion (about $4.2 billion), with 267.75 million transactions. That week already showed the beginning of the pullback in schooling costs: education spending fell to SR755.97 million, a 31% weekly drop after exceeding SR1 billion at the peak of the back-to-school season. Education outlays had earlier climbed to around SR1.1 billion in late August, more than doubling week-on-week before normalizing.

Everyday categories lead

Spending in the 5 September week reflected a shift toward routine consumption. Food and beverages accounted for roughly SR2.69 billion, restaurants and cafés SR1.81 billion, and healthcare SR964.71 million.

For households across Riyadh, Jeddah and beyond, the numbers suggest retail activity is stabilizing above the equivalent of $3.5 billion with short-term swings tied largely to seasonal factors such as back-to-school demand and follow-on corrections in education and clothing categories.

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