RIYADH — The General Authority for Statistics revealed on Tuesday that net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Saudi Arabia declined by 2.4 percent year-on-year during the first quarter of this year, reaching SR 23.1 billion, compared with SR23.7 billion in the same quarter of 2025.The authority added that net inflows also fell by 51.9 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, when they reached SR48 billion. Meanwhile, statistical data showed positive growth in total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the Saudi economy during the first quarter of 2026, which rose to SR26.6 billion, marking a 2.4 percent increase from SR26 billion recorded in the first quarter of the previous year. However, total inflows declined by 49.9 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, when they stood at SR53.1 billion.Conversely, outward foreign direct investment (FDI) flows increased significantly by 50.6 percent year-on-year during the first quarter of 2026, reaching SR3.5 billion, compared with approximately SR 2.3 billion in the first quarter of 2025.According to the authority, outward FDI flows declined by 31.8 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis compared with the final quarter of the previous year, when they totaled SR 5.2 billion.