Spending at point-of-sale operations in Saudi Arabia remains steadfastly above $3 billion
Saudi Arabia's point-of-sale (POS) transactions totaled SR13.10 billion ($3.49 billion) in the week ending September 13, 2021, according to the latest data. However, the number of transactions saw a 4.7 percent decrease, with a total of 231.05 million operations.
The capital, Riyadh, accounted for SR4.65 billion in POS transactions and 75.95 million operations. Despite this significant share, Riyadh saw a 10 percent decrease in spending compared to the previous week.
Food and beverages accounted for the largest share of these transactions, with SR1.96 billion in sales. Restaurants and cafes registered SR1.57 billion in sales, while gas stations recorded SR1.02 billion. Apparel, clothing, and accessories totaled SR902.67 million in sales.
The healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia saw a weekly decline of 5.8 percent, with a total of SR876.34 million in POS transactions. Contrastingly, the education sector experienced a more substantial decrease, with a weekly decline of 57.6 percent in POS value. Spending on professional and business services reached SR912.58 million.
Transportation transactions totaled SR966.76 million. The cities of Dammam and Al-Khobar posted SR663.98 million and SR376.90 million in POS transactions, respectively. Makkah and Madinah registered SR506.11 million and SR496.20 million, respectively. Buraidah and Abha stood at SR318.46 million and SR167.80 million, respectively.
Consumer confidence in the Kingdom remains firm, according to the latest SAMA data, lending support to Saudi Arabia's broader economic transformation agenda. The continued expansion of electronic payment systems across the Kingdom is evident in the 12.6 billion non-cash retail transactions recorded in 2024, up from 10.8 billion in 2023.
However, the search results do not provide any information regarding which city in Saudi Arabia had the highest number of POS transactions from September 6 to September 13, 2021. Weekly spending saw a 12.3 percent decrease, with the total value of transactions decreasing by SR1.84 billion in Jeddah and SR500 million in Riyadh compared to the previous week.
In conclusion, while the number of transactions and spending saw a decrease, the electronic payment sector in Saudi Arabia continues to grow, with food and beverages, gas stations, and apparel, clothing, and accessories being the most popular sectors for POS transactions.
