01.04.202615:00:00UTC+00Saudi Arabia’s Private Sector Credit Growth Cools to 8.8% in February YoY

Saudi Arabia’s private sector loan growth eased in February 2026, with the year-over-year rate moderating to 8.80%, down from 9.60% recorded in January 2026. The data, updated on 1 April 2026, reflects a deceleration in the pace of credit expansion to businesses and households compared with the same period a year earlier.

The “actual” February figure measures the change in private sector loans relative to February a year ago, while the “previous” January reading is a comparison against January a year earlier. The slowdown suggests that while credit to the private sector is still expanding at a solid pace, momentum has softened slightly at the start of 2026, a development closely watched by investors and policymakers tracking the strength of domestic demand and non-oil economic activity.