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Trade between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom

In 2024, Saudi Arabia exported $2.1 billion to the United Kingdom and imported $4.6 billion. Saudi Arabia ran a deficit of $2.4 billion with the United Kingdom, compared with a deficit of $726 million in 2019. The United Kingdom was Saudi Arabia’s 20th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and Saudi Arabia was the United Kingdom’s 34th (0.6%).

Summary

Saudi Arabia → United Kingdom
$2.1billion
United Kingdom → Saudi Arabia
$4.6billion
Saudi Arabia’s balance
-$2.4billion

Balance

Saudi Arabia’s trade balance with the United Kingdom

Trade between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom grew 89% since 1995

USD billions (current). Saudi Arabia’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 2.1
  • Imports 4.6
  • Balance -2.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$897 million$2.7 billion-$1.8 billion
1996$1.1 billion$3.2 billion-$2.1 billion
1997$1.4 billion$2.7 billion-$1.3 billion
1998$1.2 billion$3.1 billion-$1.9 billion
1999$1.1 billion$2.6 billion-$1.6 billion
2000$1.5 billion$2.5 billion-$1 billion
2001$1.5 billion$2.7 billion-$1.2 billion
2002$1.1 billion$2.5 billion-$1.3 billion
2003$1 billion$3.1 billion-$2.1 billion
2004$2.1 billion$3.1 billion-$919 million
2005$2.7 billion$3.3 billion-$582 million
2006$1.9 billion$3.3 billion-$1.4 billion
2007$1.9 billion$4 billion-$2.1 billion
2008$1.2 billion$4.5 billion-$3.3 billion
2009$886 million$3.8 billion-$2.9 billion
2010$998 million$4.1 billion-$3.1 billion
2011$1.6 billion$4.2 billion-$2.6 billion
2012$2.2 billion$4.6 billion-$2.4 billion
2013$3.4 billion$5 billion-$1.6 billion
2014$3.1 billion$6.6 billion-$3.6 billion
2015$2 billion$6.7 billion-$4.7 billion
2016$1.4 billion$5.5 billion-$4.1 billion
2017$2 billion$4.4 billion-$2.4 billion
2018$2.9 billion$3.8 billion-$856 million
2019$2.7 billion$3.5 billion-$726 million
2020$1.4 billion$2.8 billion-$1.4 billion
2021$2.1 billion$3.2 billion-$1.1 billion
2022$3.9 billion$4.3 billion-$368 million
2023$3.4 billion$5 billion-$1.6 billion
2024$2.1 billion$4.6 billion-$2.4 billion

What they sell each other

What Saudi Arabia sells to the United Kingdom

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Refined petroleum$1.3 billion · 60.5%
    1.6 million tonnes · Saudi Arabia’s destinations
  2. Coal tar oils$164 million · 7.7%
    268 thousand tonnes
  3. Spark-ignition engines$148 million · 6.9%
    130 tonnes
  4. Polyethylene$116 million · 5.4%
    87 thousand tonnes · Saudi Arabia’s destinations
  5. Other engines and motors$67 million · 3.2%
    70 tonnes
  6. Aluminum sheet$55 million · 2.6%
    13 thousand tonnes
  7. Cars$32 million · 1.5%
    198 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s sources
  8. Acrylic acid and other unsaturated acids$28 million · 1.3%
    16 thousand tonnes
  9. Polypropylene$20 million · 0.94%
    17 thousand tonnes · Saudi Arabia’s destinations
  10. Titanium ore$13 million · 0.61%
    11 thousand tonnes

What the United Kingdom sells to Saudi Arabia

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Turbojets and gas turbines$633 million · 13.8%
    215 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  2. Cars$497 million · 10.8%
    9 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$288 million · 6.3%
    4 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  4. Auto parts$106 million · 2.3%
    848 tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  5. Jewelry$88 million · 1.9%
    the United Kingdom’s destinations
  6. Ferrous scrap$87 million · 1.9%
    230 thousand tonnes · the United Kingdom’s destinations
  7. Valves and taps$83 million · 1.8%
    1 thousand tonnes
  8. Other electrical devices$71 million · 1.5%
    168 tonnes
  9. Aircraft parts$65 million · 1.4%
    165 tonnes
  10. Generating sets$62 million · 1.4%
    5 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Jeddah to Felixstowe.

The estimated sea route between Jeddah and Felixstowe is 4,098 nautical miles (7,589 km) long: ≈ 9.5–12 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Suez Canal, Strait of Gibraltar and Strait of Dover.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$3.6 billion · 52.9%
  2. Air$3.2 billion · 47.1%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United Kingdom was Saudi Arabia’s 20th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and Saudi Arabia was the United Kingdom’s 34th (0.6%).

The United Kingdom in Saudi Arabia’s trade
1.3%
The United Kingdom’s rank among Saudi Arabia’s partners
20th
Saudi Arabia in the United Kingdom’s trade
0.6%
Saudi Arabia’s rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
34th

Compare with

Other partners of Saudi Arabia

Other partners of the United Kingdom

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.