Saudi Factory Output Rose 7.5% in May on Mining, Manufacturing

Saudi Arabia's industrial production index rose 7.5% in May from a year earlier, the General Authority for Statistics said. Mining and quarrying output, the largest component, climbed 6.2% year-on-year. Manufacturing activity jumped 9.1%, the data showed.

The May reading extends a stretch of solid gains for the kingdom's non-oil economy. Manufacturing has been a particular bright spot, with petrochemicals and basic metals driving the increase. Mining output, which includes crude oil and natural gas, also contributed to the headline figure.

GASTAT's IPI measures the volume of industrial production across three main sectors: mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity and gas supply. The index is a key gauge of economic activity outside the oil sector, which the government has been trying to expand under Vision 2030.

The 7.5% gain compares with a revised 6.8% increase in April. The data was released on the authority's website without further breakdown by sub-sector.