Business activity in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector economy remained robust in March as output and new business continued to expand, further supporting employment growth in the kingdom at the end of the first quarter. The reading for the Arab world’s largest economy on the Riyad Bank purchasing managers’ index hit 58.7 in March, slightly lower than 59.8 recorded in February.
Although the index was down from the eight-year high achieved in February, it remained well above the neutral 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.