Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending remained above $3.5 billion in the week ending June 13, despite a weekly decline in overall transaction value.

According to Saudi Central Bank data, POS transactions reached SR13.2 billion, equivalent to $3.52 billion, during the seven-day period. This represented a 3.9 percent drop from the previous week, while the number of transactions slipped slightly by 0.2 percent to 238.2 million.

Education recorded the strongest growth among all categories. Spending in the sector rose 43.2 percent to SR210.9 million, while books and stationery payments increased 8.7 percent to SR115.8 million.

Jewelry spending also posted a strong weekly gain, rising 16 percent to SR638.8 million. Airline spending increased 8.8 percent to SR57.2 million, showing continued activity in travel-related payments.

Several categories, however, saw weaker spending during the week. Recreation fell 15.4 percent to SR212.5 million, while laundry services dropped 13.6 percent to SR51.2 million. Freight transport and courier services also declined 13 percent to SR43.5 million.

Food and beverages remained the largest POS spending category, although payments in the sector fell 8.4 percent to SR2.1 billion. Restaurants and cafes ranked second, with spending down 4.5 percent to SR1.6 billion.

Apparel, clothing and accessories came third among spending categories. Payments in the segment decreased 9.5 percent to SR966.7 million.

Riyadh continued to account for the biggest share of total POS spending. Transaction value in the capital fell 1 percent to SR4.6 billion, while the number of transactions rose 1 percent to 76.3 million.

Jeddah recorded a 2.7 percent decline in POS spending to SR1.8 billion. Makkah posted the sharpest fall among major cities, dropping 15.4 percent to SR466.9 million, while Dammam edged down 0.2 percent to SR673.2 million.

The weekly POS figures tracked by the Saudi Central Bank provide a regular view of consumer spending trends in the Kingdom. They also show the continued spread of digital payment services across retail, travel, education and other service sectors.

The growth of electronic payments remains linked to Saudi Arabia’s wider digital economy goals under Vision 2030. The data also points to the expanding use of POS systems beyond major retail centres and into a broader range of businesses and cities.