🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia imports of printed books: 2024 trade data
Imports of printed books by Saudi Arabia reached $101.3 million in 2024 (14.2 thousand tonnes). Its share of world imports was 1%. That is 9% less than in 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2020, at $268.9 million.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of printed books by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $101.3M | 14.2K t |
| 2023 | $112.0M | 10.0K t |
| 2022 | $118.5M | 13.2K t |
| 2021 | $113.7M | 12.5K t |
| 2020 | $268.9M | 13.2K t |
| 2019 | $160.4M | 12.8K t |
| 2018 | $142.6M | 8.0K t |
| 2017 | $62.4M | 6.0K t |
Where Saudi Arabia imports printed books from
Most of the value came from United States (31%), United Kingdom (25%), United Arab Emirates (13%). Among the main suppliers, Pakistan grew fastest (+56% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $31.0M | 31% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $25.0M | 25% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $13.4M | 13% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $4.8M | 4.7% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $4.2M | 4.2% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $3.9M | 3.9% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $3.3M | 3.3% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $1.8M | 1.8% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $1.7M | 1.7% |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $1.6M | 1.6% |
Types of printed books under HS 4901
| 4901.99 | Printed matter: books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter n.e.c. in item no. 4901.10 or 4901.91 | 92% |
| 4901.10 | Printed matter: in single sheets, whether or not folded | 7.6% |
| 4901.91 | Printed matter: dictionaries, encyclopaedias and serial instalments thereof | 0.8% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 4901.
Average import price of printed books
The average declared value was about $7.13 per kg, 24% below the world average of $9.39, which often means bulk or lower-grade product.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
Saudi Arabia also exports printed books
Exports of printed books by Saudi Arabia reached $12.8 million in 2024 (5.6 thousand tonnes). The largest buyer markets were Qatar (15%), Egypt (12%), United Arab Emirates (12%). Trade is spread widely: the top three buyer markets together make up only 40%. Among the main buyer markets, Qatar grew fastest (+544% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | $2.0M | 16% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $1.6M | 12% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $1.5M | 12% |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | $1.0M | 7.9% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $728K | 5.7% |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | $702K | 5.5% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $519K | 4.1% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $518K | 4% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $437K | 3.4% |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanon | $405K | 3.2% |
Who is behind these numbers in Saudi Arabia?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Mirror data: built from the shipment records of the countries that trade with it.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 4901: Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, whether or not in single sheets.
Printed books trade in Saudi Arabia: questions
What is the value of printed books imported by Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia imported printed books worth $101.3 million in 2024 (14.2 thousand tonnes).
Where does Saudi Arabia import printed books from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were United States (31%), United Kingdom (25%), United Arab Emirates (13%).
What is the average import price of printed books in Saudi Arabia?
The average declared import value was about $7.13 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $9.39 per kg.
Does Saudi Arabia export printed books?
Yes. Saudi Arabia exported printed books worth $12.8 million in 2024, mainly to Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates.
What is the HS code for printed books?
Printed books falls under HS heading 4901 (Printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, whether or not in single sheets). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading printed books with Saudi Arabia?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX builds Saudi Arabia trade from the records of its trading partners, updated weekly, so you can see who ships this product there.
Printed books trade in other countries
More trade data for Saudi Arabia
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