Card spending 4.7% higher than last year for the 13th week in a row
Value of point-of-sale payments in Saudi Arabia · week 20–26 September 2026 · 9–15 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH
SAR 13,372.9 million
+4.7% against the same week last year (SAR 12,771.9 million).
| This week | Same week last year | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of transactions (million) | 243.6 | 221.4 | +10.0% |
| Average transaction value (SAR) = value ÷ number | 54.9 | 57.7 | −4.8% |
What this means for your decision: Spending across Saudi Arabia in the last 4 weeks was 5.1% higher than last year; sales growing more slowly than that most likely have a local cause, which a comparison with your city and activity shows.
The week and its counterpart last year have no Ramadan or Eid, and both have the same events, so the year-on-year comparison is seasonally like for like.
Three points
- Against the previous week +3.5%, and over the same two weeks last year +3.0%; a usual seasonal pattern, like last year.
- 12 of 19 main activities are above last year; fastest growth Hotels +33.5%, weakest Education −22.8%.
- Among the 10 largest cities, 8 are above last year; fastest Makkah +11.1%, slowest Khamis Mushait −5.4%.
Spending above the previous year in 45 of 52 weeks
Weekly point-of-sale payments in Saudi Arabia, 28 September 2025 – 26 September 2026 · 6 Rabi' al-Akhir 1447 – 15 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH, against the same weeks 364 days earlier. Shaded: Ramadan and the two Eids this year; their Gregorian dates differ in the previous year.
Source: Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), weekly point-of-sale data; DataPulse calculations. Latest week: 20–26 September 2026 · 9–15 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH
What this means for your decision: The 4-week trend (above) says more than a single week.
Hotels fastest-growing, Education weakest this week
Change in spending by main activity against the same week last year, %.
| Activity | SAR million | Million transactions | Average transaction (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 311.1 +33.5% | 0.9 +35.6% | 346.5 −1.6% |
| Clothing and accessories | 1,180.7 +24.1% | 10.6 +22.9% | 111.3 +1.0% |
| Public utilities | 55.1 +18.5% | 0.9 +19.5% | 63.4 −0.9% |
| Telecommunications | 181.8 +16.7% | 5.2 +37.2% | 34.7 −14.9% |
| Groceries and food | 2,113.4 +14.1% | 56.2 +13.6% | 37.6 +0.4% |
| Restaurants and cafés | 1,758.7 +10.8% | 58.7 +7.2% | 29.9 +3.3% |
| Laundry | 49.2 +10.4% | 2.9 +6.4% | 17.0 +3.8% |
| Jewellery | 341.2 +4.8% | 0.3 +23.3% | 991.9 −15.0% |
| Fuel stations | 992.8 +4.7% | 18.2 +3.0% | 54.6 +1.6% |
| Transport | 946.7 +3.2% | 6.9 +31.4% | 136.3 −21.5% |
| Health | 865.3 +2.5% | 9.7 +7.2% | 88.9 −4.3% |
| Electronics | 206.6 +0.8% | 2.1 +21.6% | 100.7 −17.1% |
| Other activities | 1,974.6 −1.0% | 40.1 +6.6% | 49.2 −7.1% |
| Culture and recreation | 373.6 −1.4% | 3.8 −4.9% | 97.9 +3.6% |
| Bakeries and sweets | 247.0 −3.2% | 6.3 −16.9% | 39.3 +16.5% |
| Building materials | 393.8 −4.7% | 2.9 +42.0% | 133.5 −32.9% |
| Professional services | 717.2 −12.9% | 14.8 +17.2% | 48.5 −25.6% |
| Furniture and home | 576.6 −15.5% | 2.8 +9.0% | 207.6 −22.5% |
| Education | 87.6 −22.8% | 0.1 −21.6% | 634.5 −1.6% |
Source: Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), weekly point-of-sale data; DataPulse calculations. Latest week: 20–26 September 2026 · 9–15 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH
What this means for your decision: In the weakest activities demand is falling across the market; in the fastest, a shop growing more slowly than its activity is losing part of its share.
Makkah fastest-growing of the 10 largest cities
Weekly spending of the 10 largest cities, SAR million.
| City | SAR million | vs previous week | vs same week last year | Million transactions | Average transaction (SAR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Riyadh | 4,686.5 | +0.5% | +2.9% | 80.9 +10.6% | 57.9 −7.0% |
| 2. Jeddah | 1,846.0 | +4.3% | +2.4% | 27.6 +5.9% | 66.8 −3.3% |
| 3. Dammam | 677.7 | +2.1% | +5.8% | 9.8 +6.6% | 69.3 −0.8% |
| 4. Makkah | 550.6 | +8.4% | +11.1% | 9.5 +11.7% | 57.7 −0.6% |
| 5. Madinah | 536.0 | +10.0% | +10.4% | 9.4 +8.0% | 56.8 +2.2% |
| 6. Al Khobar | 397.8 | +4.1% | +1.1% | 5.2 +7.2% | 77.2 −5.7% |
| 7. Buraidah | 346.3 | +6.5% | +9.1% | 5.6 +8.5% | 61.7 +0.6% |
| 8. Taif | 284.2 | +8.0% | +4.9% | 6.0 +3.9% | 47.0 +1.0% |
| 9. Khamis Mushait | 246.0 | +1.9% | −5.4% | 4.0 −3.9% | 62.2 −1.6% |
| 10. Tabuk | 212.9 | +0.2% | −5.3% | 4.5 −0.2% | 47.2 −5.1% |
Source: SAMA, same week.
After inflation, by region (estimate)
Change in the value of spending against the same week last year, before and after removing the rise in prices in the region: (1 + change) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1.
| Region | Before removing price rises | Annual inflation | After inflation (estimate) | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | +4.7% | +1.8% | +2.8% | all |
| Riyadh | +3.2% | +2.3% | +0.9% | 10 |
| Makkah | +4.3% | +1.8% | +2.5% | 6 |
| Eastern Province | +2.7% | +1.7% | +1.1% | 12 |
| Madinah | +7.0% | +1.5% | +5.4% | 3 |
| Qassim | +7.5% | −0.4% | +8.0% | 5 |
| Asir | −2.3% | +1.3% | −3.5% | 5 |
| Tabuk | −0.4% | +1.5% | −1.9% | 2 |
| Hail | +2.4% | +2.2% | +0.2% | 1 |
| Jazan | −2.2% | +0.9% | −3.1% | 7 |
| Najran | −2.8% | +2.4% | −5.1% | 2 |
| Al-Baha | +4.0% | +2.0% | +1.9% | 1 |
| Al-Jouf | −0.3% | +4.3% | −4.5% | 3 |
| Northern Borders | +0.8% | +3.6% | −2.7% | 3 |
Source: Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) for spending; General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), consumer price index, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH), for inflation. These indicators rely on data published by GASTAT (the official source of the original data), which have been adjusted, combined with other sources, and used to calculate indicators and forecasts.
The attribution statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs)
تعتمد هذه المؤشرات على بيانات منشورة من الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المصدر الرسمي للبيانات الأصلية)، وقد جرى تعديلها ودمجها مع مصادر أخرى وحساب مؤشرات وتوقعات منها.
Estimate: a monthly regional inflation rate applied to one week, and the consumer basket does not match the card-spending basket. A region = the sum of its cities published by SAMA; “other cities” count towards Saudi Arabia only. The table is new in this issue (newsletter methodology 1.1).
What this means for your decision: Saudi Arabia (+4.7%) is the reference for cities: those below it had a weaker local market this week, which does not mean your shop is weaker.
Calendar of the coming weeks
Announced calendar facts only, no forecasts.
Also present last year, so the comparison is balanced:
- 25–31 October 2026 · 14–20 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH: Government salaries on Tuesday 27 October (16 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH) (Ministry of Finance schedule).
Ramadan 1448 AH starts around Monday 8 February 2027 (1 Ramadan 1448 AH) by the Umm al-Qura calendar (the official start is by moon sighting), in 18 weeks.
What this means for your decision: The salary week was 19.9% higher than the average ordinary week over the last 52 weeks.
Figure of the week from outside spending
The average price of Indian white basmati rice (10 kg) in Saudi Arabia was SAR 94.76 in August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH), against SAR 95.62 a year earlier: −0.9%. GASTAT publishes the average prices of about 170 goods and services every month; their change affects the margin of anyone who sells or uses them.
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia — Average prices of goods and services, the official source of the original data. DataPulse organised the data and made calculations on it (such as percentage changes and regrouping). This processing and its results are ours; they are not an official statistic issued by GASTAT and do not imply its endorsement.
Published by GASTAT on 15 September 2026 (4 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH). Details on the prices page. Reuse terms: GASTAT data use policy.
The attribution statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs; the English above is a summary)
المصدر: الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المملكة العربية السعودية) — متوسطات أسعار السلع والخدمات، وهي المصدر الرسمي للبيانات الأصلية. أجرت «نبض البيانات» على البيانات تنظيمًا وحسابًا (مثل: حساب نسب التغيّر وإعادة التجميع). هذه المعالجة والنتائج من إعدادنا وليست إحصاءً رسميًا صادرًا عن الهيئة، ولا تعني تزكية منها.
Methodology
- Point-of-sale payments by card and mobile, from SAMA: 60 cities weekly, 30 activities for Saudi Arabia weekly (19 main and 11 sub-activities), and 60×30 monthly.
- Cash payments and online purchases are not included.
- City = location of the payment terminal, not where the buyer lives. Activity = the merchant’s classification at the bank.
- Figures are before removing price rises, so part of the growth is higher prices, not larger quantities.
- SAMA may revise its figures; we update earlier issues and say so here.
- The only estimate is the “after inflation” column; every other figure is published or calculated directly.
What changed: Newsletter methodology 1.1. Added the week 20–26 September 2026 · 9–15 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH.