Mining, fertilizers to boost non-oil exports growth: AlKhorayef

The mining and fertilizers sectors contributed to the growth of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, Bandar AlKhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, told Al Arabiya TV.

AlKhorayef highlighted that fertilizer exports increased from seven million tons to more than 11 million tons, making the Kingdom the fourth-largest global producer in this food-security-linked sector.

This progress has been driven by growth in the mining sector and major investments in fertilizers through Maaden, which continues to expand.

Following the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the mining sector gained increasing weight in exports’ structure, alongside greater diversification in industrial and food products.

He stressed that since the war start, the Kingdom demonstrated economic resilience by working with the private sector to address challenges and identify alternatives to support exporters and importers in managing potential disruptions.

He also noted that a part of Saudi Arabia’s export capacity was shifted from the Eastern Region to the Western Region to ensure export continuity during trade route disruptions, highlighting the sector’s ability to handle geopolitical challenges.

The impact was limited to products that are difficult to transport to the Western Region, while disruptions in some supply chains reduced production capacity at certain factories. Investors and exporters were supported through assistance in covering additional costs arising from the crisis.

He further explained that the rise in global fertilizer prices helped offset the additional costs caused by supply chain disruptions.

AlKhorayef said the region is currently facing an important opportunity to enhance industrial integration among regional countries, noting that this direction is not new and had already been proposed to GCC before the current crisis as part of the Kingdom’s industrial strategy.

According to Argaam data, Saudi non-oil exports (including re-exports) rose to about SAR 31 billion in February 2026, up 15.1% year-on-year, with SAR 17.3 billion in national exports and SAR 13.7 billion in re-exports.