🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia exports of ships: 2024 trade data
Saudi Arabia exported $639.9 million of ships in 2024 (359.6 thousand tonnes). Its share of world exports was 1%. That is 31% less than in 2023. Over 2018-2024 the trade grew strongly, by about 105% a year on average. The peak in this period was 2023, at $928.4 million.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Exports of ships by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $639.9M | 359.6K t |
| 2023 | $928.4M | 776.8K t |
| 2022 | $849.3M | 173.7K t |
| 2021 | $584.2M | 148.7K t |
| 2020 | $108.2M | 106.9K t |
| 2019 | $82K | 68 t |
| 2018 | $8.5M | 2 t |
Where Saudi Arabia exports ships to
One buyer market dominates: United Arab Emirates accounted for 62% of the value.
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $397.4M | 62% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $67.6M | 11% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $56.2M | 8.8% |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | $56.0M | 8.8% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $29.1M | 4.5% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $11.1M | 1.7% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | $10.0M | 1.6% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $9.3M | 1.5% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $2.5M | 0.4% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $560K | 0.1% |
Types of ships under HS 8901
| 8901.90 | Vessels: n.e.c. in heading no. 8901, for the transport of goods and other vessels for the transport of both persons and goods | 97% |
| 8901.20 | Tankers | 1.8% |
| 8901.10 | Cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels, principally designed for the transport of persons, ferry boats of all kinds | 0.8% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 8901.
Average export price of ships
The average declared value was about $1.78 per kg, 30% below the world average of $2.55, 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 imports ships
Saudi Arabia imported $116.7 million of ships in 2024 (31.8 thousand tonnes). Most of the value came from India (41%), China (16%), Singapore (10%). Among the main suppliers, Egypt grew fastest (+571% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | $47.8M | 41% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $18.9M | 16% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | $11.1M | 9.5% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $7.3M | 6.3% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $6.3M | 5.4% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $5.3M | 4.6% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $5.1M | 4.4% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $4.6M | 3.9% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | $4.1M | 3.5% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $2.0M | 1.7% |
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 8901: Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges and similar vessels for the transport of persons or goods.
Ships trade in Saudi Arabia: questions
What is the value of ships imported by Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia imported ships worth $116.7 million in 2024 (31.8 thousand tonnes).
Where does Saudi Arabia import ships from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were India (41%), China (16%), Singapore (10%).
What is the average import price of ships in Saudi Arabia?
The average declared import value was about $3.67 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $2.55 per kg.
Does Saudi Arabia export ships?
Yes. Saudi Arabia exported ships worth $639.9 million in 2024, mainly to United Arab Emirates, South Korea, India.
What is the HS code for ships?
Ships falls under HS heading 8901 (Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges and similar vessels for the transport of persons or good). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading ships 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.
Ships trade in other countries
More trade data for Saudi Arabia
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