Saudi Arabia and Qatar
The Al Ula reconciliation reopened a relationship with border and economic connections. Coordination councils organize political and sectoral follow-up. The December 2025 meetings show active mechanisms without implying completely identical foreign policies.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07The January 2021 reconciliation
The Al Ula declaration of 5 January 2021 is a regional milestone following the Gulf crisis.
The Council's executive committee
The ministers co-chaired the executive committee's eighth session in Riyadh on December 4, 2025.
The December 2025 meetings
The technical meeting on the 4th and leaders' meeting on the 8th correspond to different levels of follow-up.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 2,424.4 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Goods: Saudi Arabia to Qatar | 2,094.43 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Goods: Qatar to Saudi Arabia | 329.97 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Saudi Arabia to Qatar | 0.67 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Export share: Qatar to Saudi Arabia | ||
| Investment stock: Saudi Arabia in Qatar | ||
| Investment stock: Qatar in Saudi Arabia |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods; full year; SAU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Saudi Arabia to Qatar
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods; full year; SAU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Qatar to Saudi Arabia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods; full year; SAU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: Saudi Arabia to Qatar
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods share: SAU exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Saudi Arabia | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.28 trillion USD2025 · WB | 215.56 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 34,536.66 USD2025 · WB | 72,524.91 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.5 %2025 · WB | 2.9 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 4.5 %2026-09-16 · SAMA | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.08 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 1.27 %Annual average · 2024 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 1.8 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · SAMA / GASTAT | |
| Unemployment | 3.04 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 0.13 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -5.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 31.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 41.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -2.56 %2025 · WB | 14.81 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 36,973,5552025 · WB | 2,972,2152025 · WB |
| Area | 2,149,690 km²2023 · WB | 11,490 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Saudi Arabia: 2026-09-16 · Repo rate; not reverse repo (4.00%) · SAMA · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2024 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedSaudi Arabia: 2026-08 · Year-on-year inflation; official SAMA / GASTAT indicator · SAMA / GASTAT · August 2026 indicator verified in SAMA's indexed version. The dynamic homepage does not expose the value in HTML without JavaScript; publication date unavailable. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSaudi Arabia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Qatar: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Qatar: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query. Extrapolated assuming the same growth rate as the previous year.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSaudi Arabia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Qatar: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Saudi Arabia to Qatar
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Land vehicles and components | 528.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 245.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 45.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.1 M USD2025 · Source |
Qatar to Saudi Arabia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 64.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 8.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 8.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 0.2 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [3]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Saudi Arabia living in Qatar | ||
| Residents from Qatar living in Saudi Arabia | ||
| Study and training: Saudi Arabia in Qatar | ||
| Study and training: Qatar in Saudi Arabia | ||
| Academic stays: Saudi Arabia in Qatar | ||
| Academic stays: Qatar in Saudi Arabia | ||
| Travel: Saudi Arabia to Qatar | ||
| Travel: Qatar to Saudi Arabia |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The January 2021 reconciliation
The Al Ula declaration of 5 January 2021 is a regional milestone following the Gulf crisis. It has several participants and not all its commitments are exclusively Saudi-Qatari. Normalization of contacts and borders is a process distinct from any subsequent economic negotiation. A reconciliation agreement does not automatically eliminate every diplomatic or commercial difference. [1]
The Council's executive committee
The ministers co-chaired the executive committee's eighth session in Riyadh on December 4, 2025. The secretariat team reviewed outcomes from subcommittees and working groups, and minutes were signed. That follow-up allows specific sectors to be addressed. The meeting alone does not provide the volume of invested capital or a complete inventory of private exchanges. [2]
Economic and institutional cooperation
The declaration from the emir's 8 December visit sets out a bilateral and regional cooperation agenda. Projects and agreements have their own responsible parties and timelines. Trade, human connections and diplomatic coordination are different dimensions. The table retains observed goods with a single reporting country, instead of turning a government agenda into an automatic forecast of growth or employment. [3]
The scale of the two economies
Saudi Arabia recorded nominal GDP of USD 1276.9 billion in 2025, compared with 215.6 in 2025 for Qatar. The reference populations were 36.97 million (2025) and 2.97 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Saudi Arabia's nominal GDP was 5.92 times Qatar's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The December 2025 meetings
The technical meeting on the 4th and leaders' meeting on the 8th correspond to different levels of follow-up. Their documents show continued conversation after Al Ula. They are not interpreted as proof of agreement on every regional conflict or complete implementation of the priorities. Annual statistics offer another perspective on the relationship. [3]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between Saudi Arabia and Qatar totaled 2424.4 million USD. Saudi Arabia's shipments to Qatar were USD 2094.4 million; shipments in the opposite direction were USD 330 million. Saudi Arabia's shipments to the partner represented 0.67% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [4]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Al Ula Declaration
Gulf Cooperation Council summit · Institutional source · Document: 2021-01-05 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Eighth executive committee meeting
Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2025-12-04 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Declaration on the emir's visit to Saudi Arabia
Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2025-12-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 682; partners 0,643,784,634
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 682; unique partners; X/M; bounded retry after rate-limit cooldown
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 682; unique partners; X/M; bounded retry after rate-limit cooldown.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.