Saudi Arabia’s economy expanded 2.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, slowing sharply from a 5% growth in the previous quarter, preliminary data showed. This marked the weakest pace of expansion since the second quarter of 2024, weighed down by tensions between the US and Iran that disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for roughly 20% of global oil and LNG supply. Growth in non-oil activities (2.8% vs 4.3% in Q4) and oil activities (2.3% vs 10.8%) decelerated sharply. Meanwhile, government activities rose 1.5%, rebounding from a 1.2% decline in the prior period. On a quarterly basis, GDP fell 1.5%, the first decline since the third quarter of 2023, following a 1.4% increase in the previous quarter. The IMF noted that the country is expected to be less heavily affected by the conflict than other Gulf states, given its ability to reroute part of its exports through alternative channels, alongside the relative resilience of its non-oil industrial sector.