Saudi economy to rebound in 2024: Riyadh Capital

Saudi Arabia’s economy is expected to “rebound” in 2024, according to an analysis by Riyadh Capital.

The bank’s “Saudi Economic Chartbook” for the fourth quarter of 2023 outlines a projected continuation of solid growth for non-oil activities, facilitated by a progress-driven financial policy emphasizing an increase in investment spending, leading to the foreseen advancement in 2024.

For 2023, the document estimates non-oil activities to grow by 5.1 percent while projecting a 4.9 percent boost for 2024.

The bank notes that the Kingdom’s economy is expected to consolidate in 2023 due to oil production cuts in the last 12 months.

The decline in crude output in 2023 is expected to gradually reverse over the course of next year, leading the body to forecast an oil sector GDP contribution of 3.6 percent in 2024.

For 2023, the fiscal deficit is estimated at SR82 billion ($21.9 billion), corresponding to 2.1 percent of GDP.

Meanwhile, the 2024 deficit is projected to narrow to SR43 billion or 1.1 percent of GDP, primarily due to gradually higher oil and non-oil revenues.