Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabian consumers spent a total of SR11.68 billion ($3.12 billion) through point-of-sale transactions during the initial week of Ramadan, spanning from March 10 to March 16. The data, disclosed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), outlines a total of 168 million transactions during this period.
Expenditures were diverse, with a substantial portion allocated to food and beverages, amounting to SR2.26 billion ($603.97 million) across 45.8 million transactions. Purchases in clothing and shoes accounted for SR914.91 million ($244.38 million) through 6.28 million transactions.
Further breakdowns of spending activities revealed that transactions in construction materials reached SR307.60 million ($82.21 million), while education-related purchases amounted to SR140.13 million ($37.42 million). Electronic and electrical devices saw transactions worth SR224.00 million ($59.87 million), with gas stations recording SR771.93 million ($206.07 million) in sales.
Among various cities, Riyadh led in point-of-sale operations, totaling SR3.88 billion ($1.04 billion), followed by Jeddah with transactions valued at SR1.64 billion ($438.61 million). Other cities collectively contributed SR3.37 billion ($900.52 million) to the total spending.