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RIYADH: Qatar Central Bank’s international reserves and foreign currency liquidity increased by 3.2 percent year on year in August, reaching 260.3 billion Qatari riyals ($71.50 billion), according to the bank’s latest monthly figures. 

This marked a slight deceleration compared to July’s growth rate of 3.28 percent, when reserves stood at 259.238 billion riyals. 

Official reserves also posted a year-on-year increase of 3.8 percent, rising to 200.8 billion riyals in August. That compares with a 3.99 percent growth rate in July, when reserves reached 199.84 billion riyals. 

According to data reported by the Qatar News Agency, holdings of foreign bonds and treasury bills fell by 4.9 billion riyals to 135.2 billion riyals in August, while gold reserves climbed by 14.6 billion riyals to 46.5 billion riyals. 

Cash balances at foreign banks declined by 2.3 billion riyals to 13.9 billion riyals, while Special Drawing Rights with the International Monetary Fund slipped slightly to 5.24 billion riyals from 5.25 billion riyals a year earlier. 

The August figures extend trends seen in previous months. In June, Qatar’s international reserves stood at 258.9 billion riyals, while in May they reached 258.1 billion riyals, according to QNA.  

During both months, official reserves rose year on year, with notable increases in gold holdings offset by declines in foreign bond investments and bank deposits. 

“Similarly, Qatar’s SDR deposit holdings at the IMF rose by 12 million riyals in July 2025 compared to July 2024, reaching 5.178 billion riyals,” QNA’s report stated.  

The central bank’s international reserves comprise foreign bonds and treasury bills, cash balances with foreign banks, gold holdings, SDRs, and Qatar’s quota in the IMF. Additional liquid foreign currency assets also contribute to the total. 

RIYADH: ������Ƶ’s economy expanded 3.9 percent in the second quarter of the year, fueled by robust non-oil activity that extended its growth streak to 18 consecutive quarters, official data showed.

The Kingdom’s non-oil activities grew by 4.6 percent year on year in the April–June period, underlining the progress of Vision 2030 reforms aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil dependence, according to estimates from the General Authority for Statistics.

The latest gross domestic product figures align with projections from the International Monetary Fund, which in August forecast the Saudi economy to expand by 3.6 percent this year before accelerating to 3.9 percent in 2026. 

“Real GDP grew 3.9 percent in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same quarter of 2024, while seasonally adjusted real GDP rose by 1.7 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025,” GASTAT said in its latest report. 

“All main economic activities increased year-on-year, with non-oil up 4.6 percent, oil up 3.8 percent, and government up 0.6 percent,” it added.

Quarterly, oil activities led the expansion with a 5.6 percent increase, while non-oil advanced 0.8 percent and government activities slipped 0.8 percent.

The authority said non-oil sectors contributed 2.6 percentage points to overall GDP growth, followed by oil at 0.9 points, and net taxes on products at 0.3 points.

Among individual sectors, electricity, water and gas activities expanded 10.3 percent year on year in the second quarter, while finance, insurance and business services grew 7 percent. Wholesale and retail trade, along with restaurants and hotels, rose 6.6 percent.

In May, GASTAT reported that the economy grew 2.7 percent year on year in the first quarter, also driven by strong non-oil momentum.

Commenting on the first quarter performance at the time, Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim, who chairs GASTAT’s board, said non-oil activities accounted for 53.2 percent of economic output, an increase of 5.7 percent from previous estimates.

He added that ������Ƶ’s outlook remains positive, supported by structural reforms and large-scale state-led projects across multiple sectors.