Saudi PMI hits highest level for second straight month: IHS Markit

Riyadh city

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in Saudi Arabia hit its highest level for the second consecutive month, reaching 56.4 in May 2021, compared to 55.2 in April, according to IHS Markit

The reading indicated a robust improvement in business conditions that was the fastest recorded since January.

"Saudi Arabia's non-oil sector continued to enjoy a strong recovery in May, led by a sharp rise in output that was the quickest since the end of 2017. Firms often cited growth in new business and a notable pick up in export sales,” IHS Markit said in a statement

Firms built their inventories at the fastest rate for 18 months, but largely operated with existing workforces as backlogs continued to decline.

Meanwhile, a rise in the output index had the largest positive influence on the headline figure in May. The latest expansion in output was the quickest since December 2017. Job numbers increased for the second straight month, but the pace of expansion slowed from April.

Market conditions also continued to improve following looser pandemic-related measures. Overall new orders rose sharply and at the quickest pace in four months. Notably, export orders rose to the greatest extent since the end of 2015 as global demand strengthened amid the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, IHS Markit added.