Saudi Weekly Spending Hits SR14.17bn as School Buys Jump

Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia through point-of-sale (POS) terminals reached about SR 14.17 billion (roughly $3.78 billion) in the week ending 22 August 2026, driven by a sharp rise in back-to-school purchases as the new academic year began.

Education-related spending was the standout category, climbing about 134 percent week-on-week to around SR 1.04 billion, while the number of education transactions rose by roughly 55 to 56 percent. The surge reflects families equipping students with fees, supplies, and related services at the start of term.

The latest figure keeps weekly POS spending within the SR 13–15 billion range (about $3.5–3.9 billion) seen through mid-2026, with movements tied to salary cycles and seasonal demand. Earlier in the year, spending reached about SR 14.7 billion in the week ending 4 April, when education outlays jumped nearly 797 percent to SR 296.5 million, and about SR 13.2 billion in the week ending 13 June.

The back-to-school pattern is familiar: in the week ending 23 August 2025, education and related library spending reached about SR 1.03 billion, up 132 percent and accounting for nearly 9 percent of total POS spending. In the mid-August 2026 week, education spending had already risen about 62.7 percent to around SR 446 million, with Riyadh recording about SR 4.84 billion in total consumer spending and Jeddah about SR 1.88 billion.

For households across the Kingdom, the numbers underline how the school calendar shapes family budgets each year. The consistent weekly spending levels also point to steady consumer activity across sectors including apparel, electronics, transportation, and everyday retail and services.

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