From 108.0 to 113.3 points in a year
The operating revenue index for short-term business statistics stood at 113.3 points in July 2026, against 108.0 points in July 2025, annual growth of +4.9%. Month on month the index rose +1.2% over June 2026, so the rise is both annual and monthly.
Source: General Authority for Statistics, Short-Term Business Statistics, July 2026, as published in the press.
Manufacturing and finance in front
On an annual basis, manufacturing led with +13.5%, close to three times the pace of the general index. Financial and insurance activities followed at +9.0%, then information and communication at +6.5%. Construction recorded +1.6%, and wholesale and retail trade with vehicle repair +0.8%.
Month on month, mining and quarrying led with +6.4%, then information and communication at +3.7%, manufacturing at +0.8%, accommodation and food services at +0.6%, and construction at +0.1%.
Source: General Authority for Statistics, Short-Term Business Statistics, July 2026, as published in the press.
The workforce: compensation up 7.4%
The employee compensation index recorded annual growth of +7.4% and monthly growth of +0.3%. By activity: manufacturing +10.3%, financial and insurance +6.4%, wholesale and retail trade with vehicle repair +6.2%, construction +4.6%, and mining and quarrying +2.7%.
Operating revenue grew +4.9% and employee compensation +7.4%. An encouraging reading of the labour market, and at the same time a practical accounting question: what share of your revenue goes to your people, and is it steady or changing?
| Activity | Revenue growth | Compensation growth |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | +13.5% | +10.3% |
| Financial and insurance activities | +9.0% | +6.4% |
| Construction | +1.6% | +4.6% |
| Wholesale, retail and vehicle repair | +0.8% | +6.2% |
| Overall | +4.9% | +7.4% |
Source: General Authority for Statistics, Short-Term Business Statistics, July 2026, as published in the press. Annual comparison.
Building permits: 5,828
5,828 building permits were issued in July 2026, against 5,582 in July 2025, annual growth of +4.4%. Month on month they rose +15.5% from 5,045 permits in June 2026. An early signal of construction and contracting activity, and of the supply tied to them, in the months ahead.
What this means for your business
The picture is an economy expanding on several fronts at once: fast-growing manufacturing, finance, communications, and rising building permits. The business that reads its own books with the same precision is the one that knows where to take its share.
First, for the factory and the workshop: know the cost of what you make. The composite products feature in Qoyod lets you define an item by its components, so components are deducted from stock when the manufacturing order is recorded. It is available on the Advance plan only. It is worth being clear that Qoyod is an accounting system, not a manufacturing system, and does not support multi-level assembly structures.
Second, if you work on more than one project: separate each project’s result. The Tasks and Projects module tracks time and cost and ties them to the accounting entries, so you know which contract earned and which consumed your time, which matters especially for anyone supplying construction.
Third, measure the cost of your people as a share of revenue. Record salaries as a separate expense line and compare them with revenue period after period. Qoyod’s reports compare up to 13 consecutive periods, so you see the trend rather than a snapshot.
Fourth, issue your invoices in compliant form. E-invoicing in Qoyod complies with Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority requirements for Phase 1 and Phase 2, which keeps dealings with large customers smooth as your activity widens.
Prepared by Qoyod based on documented system capabilities and General Authority for Statistics figures.
Recommendations
Four practical steps to take from the numbers in this report:
- Benchmark your growth against your activity: +13.5% for manufacturing, +9.0% for finance, +6.5% for communications, and +4.9% for the general index.
- If you manufacture, calculate unit cost from actual components before you raise output.
- Track compensation as a share of revenue each quarter, since the overall employee compensation index is growing +7.4%.
- Watch building permits as an early indicator if you supply construction: 5,828 permits in a single month.
Revenue up +4.9%, manufacturing up +13.5%, employee compensation up +7.4%, and more than five thousand building permits in a single month: these are the numbers of an economy expanding with confidence within the path of Saudi Vision 2030. The business that reads its books with the precision of its own activity is the one that takes its share of that expansion.
Sources
- General Authority for Statistics via Okaz: Short-Term Business Statistics for July 2026 (annual growth of 4.9%, monthly 1.2%, manufacturing, finance, communications and construction, employee compensation and building permits). The Authority’s original bulletin was not available when this report was prepared; the figures are relayed from it as published.
- General Authority for Statistics via Al-Eqtisadiah: the same release, with figures matching those published by Okaz.
- General Authority for Statistics via Ajel: the index level (113.3 points against 108.0 in July 2025).
- Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority: e-invoicing requirements for Phase 1 and Phase 2.