Saudi Operating Revenue Index Hits 10.6% Growth in April

Saudi Arabia's operating revenue index for short-term businesses rose 10.6% year-on-year in April 2026, the fastest pace since the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) began publishing the series. The index hit 113.4 points, up from 102.6 a year earlier, according to the authority's monthly bulletin.

GASTAT's short-term business statistics track monthly revenue trends across economic activities in the Kingdom. The April jump was the highest reading on record in the data set, which starts from 2023 as the base year.

Sectors driving the move

Transportation and storage led the growth at 26% year-on-year, followed by mining and quarrying at 25%. Information and telecommunications climbed 19%, while financial and insurance activities rose 18%. Manufacturing expanded 10.3%, wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair grew 6.9%, and construction added 5.4%.

The broad-based gains suggest the operating revenue index serves as a proxy for corporate revenue momentum across listed and unlisted companies. For investors tracking Saudi equity exposure, the index offers a real-time check on top-line growth in key sectors.

Employee compensation also rose

The employee compensation index increased 10.1% year-on-year in April. Manufacturing led the rise at 12.1%, followed by wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair at 9.3% and construction at roughly 8%. The compensation data points to labor cost pressures that may feed into margins over the coming quarters.

For a broader look at how Saudi economic data feeds into stock market analysis, the operating revenue index is a leading indicator of revenue trends for non-oil sector companies. The sustained acceleration through April signals that demand remains firm across the domestic economy, though the pace of compensation growth bears watching as a potential margin headwind.