Full Analysis Summary
Saudi Arabia Industrial Growth
Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) rose 9.3% year-on-year in September 2025 to 116.1, up from 113.9 in August.
Preliminary GASTAT data attributes the surge to broad-based gains across mining and quarrying, manufacturing, utilities, and waste management.
Mining and quarrying climbed 11% as crude output increased to 9.97 million barrels per day from 8.97 million bpd a year earlier.
Manufacturing expanded 6.3% on stronger output of coke, refined petroleum products, and chemicals.
Both outlets frame the result as aligning with Vision 2030’s push to diversify and reduce reliance on oil revenues.
This indicates momentum in industrial activity alongside the hydrocarbons contribution to mining growth.
Coverage Differences
missed information
Arab News PK (West Asian) provides additional breakdowns absent from Arab News (West Asian), including explicit year-on-year gains in utilities subsectors and monthly changes by industry, while Arab News summarizes sector drivers without those granular figures.
tone/narrative
Both Arab News (West Asian) and Arab News PK (West Asian) frame the IPI jump as progress toward Vision 2030 diversification, emphasizing positive momentum rather than potential vulnerabilities from oil-driven mining gains.
Growth in Mining and Utilities
The sectoral composition of growth shows oil-supported mining strength alongside diversified industrial activity.
Arab News highlights mining and quarrying and manufacturing, plus utilities and waste management as contributors.
Arab News PK quantifies utilities’ surge—electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning up 12.6%—and water supply and waste management up 9.2% year-on-year.
Arab News PK also reports monthly momentum with mining up 2.5% and manufacturing up 1% from August, adding texture to the headline IPI rise.
Coverage Differences
missed information
Arab News PK (West Asian) uniquely details utilities’ 12.6% YoY expansion and water/waste’s 9.2% YoY growth, and it reports monthly gains in mining (+2.5%) and manufacturing (+1%), which Arab News (West Asian) does not quantify.
narrative emphasis
Arab News (West Asian) presents a broad-based growth narrative without month-on-month specifics, whereas Arab News PK (West Asian) emphasizes short-term momentum alongside the annual rise, potentially signaling sustained acceleration.
Economic Growth in Mining and Manufacturing
Mining’s 11% jump was closely tied to higher oil output—9.97 million bpd versus 8.97 million bpd a year earlier.
Manufacturing’s 6.3% rise was led by coke, refined petroleum products, and chemicals.
The data implies oil remains a near-term driver even as non-oil industries contribute meaningfully.
Both outlets present this duality as consistent with Vision 2030’s diversification trajectory.
This underscores that increased hydrocarbon activity and expanding non-oil segments can move in tandem.
Coverage Differences
tone/narrative
Both Arab News (West Asian) and Arab News PK (West Asian) present oil-led mining gains and manufacturing growth as compatible with diversification goals, avoiding any suggestion that oil’s prominence undercuts the Vision 2030 narrative.
terminology/phrasing
Arab News (West Asian) uses the phrase “reduced reliance on crude oil revenues,” whereas Arab News PK (West Asian) says “reduced reliance on oil revenues,” a minor wording difference that nevertheless reflects a shared framing.
Economic Growth and Sector Performance
Beyond the headline, Arab News PK reports that oil-related activities grew by 10.1%.
Non-oil activities increased by 7.3%, contributing to overall economic expansion.
The Index of Production (IPI) rose to 116.1, reflecting month-on-month improvements in mining and manufacturing.
These gains indicate broad growth across multiple sectors.
Arab News highlights the year-on-year performance, emphasizing the cross-sector drivers of growth.
Together, the reports show that in September, hydrocarbons boosted mining output.
Manufacturing and utilities also delivered parallel gains during this period.
These combined improvements support the official narrative of economic diversification.
Coverage Differences
missed information
Only Arab News PK (West Asian) reports the oil versus non-oil split (+10.1% vs +7.3%) and the precise month-on-month gains, whereas Arab News (West Asian) stays with annual changes and sectoral mentions without those splits.
narrative
Both West Asian sources emphasize that the results are aligned with Vision 2030’s diversification goals, presenting the industrial acceleration as a sign of structural progress rather than a transient oil boost.