Saudi unemployment rate falls to 3.3% in Q2 as job market strengthens: GASTAT

According to data from the General Authority for Statistics, the unemployment rate also declined by 0.8 percentage points compared to the same period last year. Shutterstock
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Updated 30 September 2024
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Saudi unemployment rate falls to 3.3% in Q2 as job market strengthens: GASTAT

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate fell to 3.3 percent in the second quarter of 2024, a 0.2 percentage point drop compared to the previous quarter, official data showed. 

According to data from the General Authority for Statistics, the unemployment rate also declined by 0.8 percentage points compared to the same period last year. 

The jobless rate among Saudi nationals fell to 7.1 percent, a quarterly drop of 0.5 percentage points and an annual decline of 1.4 percentage points.  

The decrease aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to enhance job opportunities for Saudis and stimulate economic expansion. The improvement in labor market indicators is expected to support long-term socio-economic development. 

In June, Saudi Arabia launched Jadarat, a unified employment platform designed to connect job seekers with positions in the public and private sectors, part of broader efforts to tackle unemployment. 

Labor force participation among Saudis slipped by 0.6 percentage points in the second quarter to 50.8 percent, though it edged up 0.1 percentage points from the same period a year earlier. 

“The employment-to-population ratio for Saudis declined by 0.3 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024, standing at 47.2 percent, while it increased by 0.8 percentage points annually compared to the second quarter of 2023,” stated GASTAT.  

Saudi female unemployment saw a sharp quarterly decline of 1.4 percentage points, landing at 12.8 percent. The employment-to-population ratio for women slipped by 0.1 percentage points to 30.8 percent.  

For men, the employment-to-population ratio remained steady at 63.6 percent, while labor force participation edged down by 0.1 percentage points to 66.3 percent. 

The GASTAT survey revealed that 95.5 percent of jobless Saudis are willing to take up roles in the private sector, with 81.9 percent of unemployed Saudi women and 93.8 percent of men open to working eight or more hours a day. 

The decline in unemployment underscores Saudi Arabia's progress in reshaping its labor market. As the Kingdom continues to focus on economic diversification, these positive trends signal the potential for stronger workforce participation and broader opportunities for its citizens moving forward.


Turkiye economy grew 4.8% in Q2, above expectations

Updated 5 sec ago
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Turkiye economy grew 4.8% in Q2, above expectations

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s economy grew by 4.8 percent in the second quarter, above expectations despite a prolonged monetary tightening effort, official data showed on Monday.

Second-quarter gross domestic product grew 1.6 percent from the previous quarter on a seasonally and calendar-adjusted basis, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed.

Economists said the quarter had benefited from having more working days than in the same period the year before, and from last year’s low base.

In a Reuters poll, the economy was forecast to have grown by 4.1 percent in the second quarter and by 2.9 percent for 2025 as a whole.

The government forecasts 4 percent growth this year. It is expected to update its forecasts early this month.

Growth in the first quarter was revised up to 2.3 percent from 2 percent, the data also showed, while economic expansion was revised up slightly to 3.3 percent from the previous 3.2 percent last year.

The institute also published a document along with the data detailing the revision of its Gross Domestic Product series as part of efforts to align with the European System of National Accounts.

In December, the central bank started an easing cycle after having kept the main policy rate steady for eight months. Inflation has dipped from as high as 75 percent last year.

The central bank tightened policy in April in a move to ensure stability following market turmoil that erupted over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival.

The bank recently returned to policy easing last month, with inflation falling to around 33 percent and said the impact of tight policy can be seen in a slowdown in demand conditions.


Gold climbs on US rate-cut bets; silver hits 14-year high

Updated 18 min 1 sec ago
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Gold climbs on US rate-cut bets; silver hits 14-year high

  • Fed’s Daly says it’ll soon be time to recalibrate policy
  • Silver rises more than 2% to trade above $40 per ounce
  • Platinum up more than 1%

Gold hit a more than four-month high on Monday, as increased bets for a US Federal Reserve interest rate cut this month lifted bullion’s allure, while silver rose above $40 per ounce for the first time in more than a decade.

Spot gold rose 1.2 percent to $3,486.86 per ounce by 8:41 a.m. Saudi time, hitting its highest point since April 23. US gold futures for December delivery gained 1.1 percent to $3,554.60.

“Dovish comments from San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly helped traders looked past a higher core PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditures) read on Friday, and kept the door open for a 25-basis-point rate cut this month,” City Index senior analyst Matt Simpson said.

A US appeals court has also deemed most of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs illegal, weighing further on the dollar and sending gold to a four-month high, Simpson said.

Data showed that the US PCE price index rose 0.2 percent month-on-month, and 2.6 percent year-on-year, both in line with expectations.

In a social media post on Friday, Daly reiterated her support for a rate cut, given the risks to the labor market.

Non-yielding gold typically performs well in a low-interest-rate environment.

On the trade front, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Sunday the Trump administration is continuing its talks with trading partners despite a US appeals court ruling that most of Trump’s tariffs are illegal.

Spot silver jumped 2.2 percent to $40.56 per ounce, the highest level since September 2011.

“The US bank holiday is contributing to thinner liquidity, which is also exacerbating some of the moves in gold and silver,” said KCM Trade’s chief market analyst, Tim Waterer.

“Silver is making a move higher in response to expectations of lower US rates, while a tight supply market is helping to maintain an upward bias.”

Platinum gained 1.5 percent to $1,384.68 and palladium climbed 0.8 percent to $1,118.06.


Oil Updates — crude holds in tight range as rising output offsets Russia supply disruptions

Updated 26 min 15 sec ago
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Oil Updates — crude holds in tight range as rising output offsets Russia supply disruptions

  • Russian drones knock out power facilities in Ukraine
  • Asia manufacturing data mixed, clouds economic outlook
  • OPEC+ to meet on Sept. 7

SINGAPORE: Oil prices traded in a tight range on Monday as worries about rising output and the impact of US tariffs on demand offset supply disruptions stemming from intensified Russia-Ukraine airstrikes.

Brent crude fell 30 cents, or 0.44 percent, to $67.18 a barrel by 7:00 a.m. Saudi time, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $63.73 a barrel, down 28 cents, or 0.44 percent. Trading is expected to be muted due to a US bank holiday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Sunday to retaliate by ordering more strikes deep inside Russia after Russian drone attacks on power facilities in northern and southern Ukraine. Both countries have intensified airstrikes in recent weeks, targeting energy infrastructure and disrupting Russian oil exports.

Markets remained concerned about Russian oil flows, with weekly shipments from its ports dropping to a four-week low of 2.72 million barrels per day, according to tanker tracker data cited by ANZ analysts in a note.

However, Russian oil exports to India are set to rise in September, traders said, despite secondary tariffs imposed on New Delhi by the US for buying oil from Moscow.

“Modi’s meeting with Putin in China will be closely watched, particularly in light of US pressures,” Michael McCarthy, CEO of Moomoo Australia, said, referring to the Indian and Russian presidents who are attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization regional security bloc in China.

A Reuters poll on Friday showed that oil prices are unlikely to gain much traction from current levels this year, as rising output from top producers adds to the risk of a surplus and US tariff threats weigh on demand growth.

The week started with a slew of manufacturing and export data from China, Japan and South Korea, among the world’s biggest crude oil importers.

Factory activity in China unexpectedly grew in August but weakened for other Asian economies as companies began to feel the pain from US tariffs, private surveys showed on Monday, clouding the outlook for the region’s fragile recovery.

Brent and WTI crude posted their first decline in four months in August, down 6 percent or more on OPEC+ supply concerns.

Investors are eyeing the Sept. 7 meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies for further supply cues.

Meanwhile, US crude oil production hit a record high in June, rising 133,000 barrels per day to 13.58 million bpd, according to data released by the Energy Information Administration on Friday.

A US labor market report this week will give a crucial read into the economy’s health and test investors’ confidence that interest rate cuts are coming soon, a view that has lifted their appetite for riskier assets such as commodities.


Aramco keeps LPG prices unchanged for September

Updated 31 August 2025
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Aramco keeps LPG prices unchanged for September

RIYADH: Saudi Aramco has kept its official selling prices for liquefied petroleum gas unchanged for September 2025, maintaining the same levels as the previous month. Propane is priced at $520 per tonne, while butane remains at $490 per tonne, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

LPG, which includes propane and butane, is widely used for residential heating, cooking, transportation, and as a petrochemical feedstock.

Aramco’s monthly pricing serves as a benchmark for exports from the Gulf to Asia, the world’s largest LPG-consuming region.

In developing countries, state-backed programs encouraging LPG for cooking and heating are boosting domestic consumption, supported by tanker-based supply chains.

In developed markets, LPG provides a flexible and cost-effective alternative for industrial processes and transportation.


Closing Bell: Saudi main index slips to 10,696

Updated 31 August 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index slips to 10,696

  • Parallel market Nomu dropped 1.37% to end at 25,943.03
  • MSCI Tadawul Index shed 0.19% to close at 1,382.06

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Sunday, losing 35.42 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 10,696.89.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index reached SR3.16 billion ($842 million), with 38 stocks advancing and 217 declining.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also dropped, falling 360.62 points, or 1.37 percent, to 25,943.03, as 30 stocks advanced while 65 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index shed 2.59 points, or 0.19 percent, to close at 1,382.06.

Development Works Food Co. was the day’s top performer, rising 6.53 percent to SR124. Arab National Bank gained 3.02 percent to SR24.21, while Banque Saudi Fransi advanced 2.96 percent to SR16.70.

On the downside, SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co. fell 5.44 percent to SR114.80. 

Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. (Petro Rabigh) declined 5.14 percent to SR7.01. The company announced a board recommendation to raise its capital from SR16.7 billion to SR21.9 billion through issuing and privately offering new ordinary shares to founding shareholders, alongside a subscription agreement.

In corporate updates, Saudi Networkers Services Co. reported a net profit of SR20.6 million for the first half of 2025, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, supported by higher revenues and improved margins. Its shares closed at SR73, up 6.84 percent.

Advance International Co. for Communication and Information Technology posted a net loss of SR2.9 million for the same period, compared with a profit of SR5.15 million last year. The company cited higher operating costs and lower selling prices in its wholesale and supplies division. Its shares ended at SR2.30, down 8.33 percent.

Arabian International Healthcare Holding Co. narrowed its losses to SR24.2 million, down 23.6 percent year on year, aided by stronger gross profit and lower impairment charges. Its shares closed at SR33.30, down 15.87 percent.

Saudi Parts Center Co. swung to a net loss of SR6.2 million in the first half of the year, versus a profit of SR689,000 last year, due to a 17 percent sales drop and weaker revenue from its Engine and Generator Repair Center. Its shares ended at SR42, down 13.04 percent.

Rawasi Albina Investment Co. turned to a net profit of SR1.19 million from a loss of SR9.7 million a year earlier, driven by higher revenues from completed projects and contract expansions in construction, telecoms, and energy. Its stock fell 7.69 percent to SR3.98.