Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale (POS) transactions experienced a significant 20.4% increase between August 25 and 31, driven primarily by a surge in the telecommunications sector. According to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), transactions during this period totaled SR14 billion ($3.7 billion), with the telecom industry recording the highest sectoral growth at 42%, reaching SR131.9 million. 

The report highlighted notable sectoral variations, with the education sector being the only one to see a decline, dropping by 38.6% to SR516.2 million. This marked the second consecutive weekly decrease for education, following a period of growth linked to the start of the academic year on August 18. 

Spending on food and beverages saw the second-largest increase, rising 40.8% to SR2.16 billion. The clothing and footwear sector also recorded significant growth, with a 31% increase, reaching SR785 million. 

In terms of transaction value, restaurants and cafes ranked second, contributing SR1.96 billion, followed by miscellaneous goods and services at SR1.58 billion. Combined, the leading three categories accounted for 40.62% of the total POS value, amounting to SR5.7 billion. 

Hotel spending saw the smallest increase, at 6.1%, bringing total payments in the sector to SR238.3 million. Spending on construction and building materials grew by 9% to SR343.5 million, while expenditures on recreation and culture rose by 13.7% to SR334.2 million. 

Geographically, Riyadh led the POS transactions, representing 34% of the total with expenses reaching SR4.77 billion—a 14.3% increase from the previous week. Jeddah followed with a 13.6% surge to SR1.92 billion, and Dammam came in third with SR691 million, marking a 17.1% increase. 

Among the regions, Hail recorded the most substantial rise in spending, increasing 37.9% to SR231.8 million. Tabouk and Buraidah also saw significant upticks, with expenditures climbing 37.3% and 22.9% to SR294.1 million and SR335.5 million, respectively. 

In terms of transaction volume, Hail again led with a 24.9% increase, totaling 4,055 transactions, followed by Tabouk with a 21.4% rise, reaching 4,986 transactions. 

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