Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)

What we take

Coverage

• The city is where the payment terminal is, not where the buyer lives. The activity is the merchant’s classification at the bank.
• The week runs Sunday to Saturday as SAMA publishes it. Before 2024 the weekly series comes from KAPSARC, after it from SAMA bulletins; see KAPSARC.
• The weekly series for Saudi Arabia: 333 weeks since 10–16 May 2020 · 17–23 Ramadan 1441 AH.

Updates: at source and on our side

• The weekly bulletin is issued at the end of each week; a mirror on our hosting pulls it and the nightly build reads it.
• The daily statistical report is pulled every day because the source keeps only the last 31 days, and the weekly one only the last 52 weeks.
• Last successful pull of the daily report: 3 October 2026 (22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH); of the weekly bulletin: 29 September 2026 (18 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH).

Limits

• Cards only: no cash, transfers or online purchases; cards were about 57% of (point-of-sale payments + cash withdrawals) in 2025.
• No single establishment: figures are aggregated by city and activity and do not estimate any shop’s sales.
• Revisions: SAMA may revise earlier figures; we update them and keep the difference.

Level breaks in the series

• Public Utilities & Services: a permanent level change of about −55% between February 2024 (Rajab – Sha'ban 1445 AH) and September 2024 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1446 AH), seen in two independent SAMA sources, with no cause published by SAMA. We show the figures as published, marked “break at source”; year-on-year comparisons across the break are misleading.
• Electronic & Electric Devices: a permanent level change of about −22% in January 2025 (Rajab – Sha'ban 1446 AH), seen in two independent SAMA sources, with no cause published by SAMA. We show the figures as published, marked “break at source”; year-on-year comparisons across the break are misleading.
• Pharmacies & Medical Supplies: a permanent level change of about −33% between August 2025 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1447 AH) and September 2025 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Rabi' al-Akhir 1447 AH), seen in two independent SAMA sources, with no cause published by SAMA. We show the figures as published, marked “break at source”; year-on-year comparisons across the break are misleading.
• Professional & Business Services: a permanent level change of about −31% between August 2025 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1447 AH) and October 2025 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Jumada al-Ula 1447 AH), seen in two independent SAMA sources, with no cause published by SAMA. We show the figures as published, marked “break at source”; year-on-year comparisons across the break are misleading.
• Telecommunication: a permanent level change of about +34% in October 2025 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Jumada al-Ula 1447 AH), seen in two independent SAMA sources, with no cause published by SAMA. We show the figures as published, marked “break at source”; year-on-year comparisons across the break are misleading.
• Construction & Building Materials: in the weekly series alone the level jumped by about +24% in the week of 29 June 2025 (4 Muharram 1447 AH), when its splice moved from the old activity classification to the 2024+ classification SAMA now publishes. The monthly statistical report (new classification throughout) shows no such change, so this is a classification difference, not spending. Year-on-year weekly comparisons across this date for this activity are misleading; the monthly series is the reference.
• Furniture & Home Supplies: in the weekly series alone the level jumped by about +79% in the week of 29 June 2025 (4 Muharram 1447 AH), when its splice moved from the old activity classification to the 2024+ classification SAMA now publishes. The monthly statistical report (new classification throughout) shows no such change, so this is a classification difference, not spending. Year-on-year weekly comparisons across this date for this activity are misleading; the monthly series is the reference.
• Recreation & Culture: in the weekly series alone the level jumped by about +41% in the week of 29 June 2025 (4 Muharram 1447 AH), when its splice moved from the old activity classification to the 2024+ classification SAMA now publishes. The monthly statistical report (new classification throughout) shows no such change, so this is a classification difference, not spending. Year-on-year weekly comparisons across this date for this activity are misleading; the monthly series is the reference.
• Telecommunication: in the weekly series alone the level jumped by about +42% in the week of 29 June 2025 (4 Muharram 1447 AH), when its splice moved from the old activity classification to the 2024+ classification SAMA now publishes. The monthly statistical report (new classification throughout) shows no such change, so this is a classification difference, not spending. Year-on-year weekly comparisons across this date for this activity are misleading; the monthly series is the reference.
• Transportation: in the weekly series alone the level jumped by about +45% in the week of 29 June 2025 (4 Muharram 1447 AH), when its splice moved from the old activity classification to the 2024+ classification SAMA now publishes. The monthly statistical report (new classification throughout) shows no such change, so this is a classification difference, not spending. Year-on-year weekly comparisons across this date for this activity are misleading; the monthly series is the reference.

Attribution