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RIYADH: ����ֱ��’s point-of-sale transactions remained above the $3 billion mark for the second week in a row due to a 32.5 percent increase in spending on education in the week ending Aug. 9.

The sector recorded SR251.79 million ($67.09 million) in transactions despite a 3.2 percent dip, reaching 161,000. It was the only one to see a positive change during the monitored period.

The total POS value stood at SR13.6 billion with a 12.3 percent weekly drop, underscoring the resilience of consumer activity across the Kingdom, according to data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA. 

The subcategory of pharmacies and medical supplies saw the largest decrease, dropping by 24.7 percent to SR278.94 million. Spending on freight transport and courier services ranked next, falling 23.8 percent to SR48.68 million. 

Food and beverages, the sector with the biggest share of total POS value, recorded a 17.8 percent decrease to SR1.93 billion. In comparison, the restaurants and cafes sector saw a 7.9 percent decrease, totaling SR1.75 billion and claiming the second-largest share of this week’s POS.

Spending on transportation ranked third despite a 14.5 percent decline to SR1.04 billion.

The top three categories accounted for approximately 34.4 percent of the week’s total spending, amounting to SR4.71 billion.

The smallest decline was seen in the hotels sector, which decreased by 1 percent to SR349.97 million, followed by expenditure on medical services, which saw a 6.6 percent dip to SR474 million.

Spending on apparel, clothing, and accessories saw a 10.7 percent dip to SR998.90 million, and recreation and culture decreased by 13.4 percent to settle at SR345.58 million.

Geographically, Riyadh dominated POS transactions, with expenses in the capital reaching SR4.58 billion, a 9.8 percent decrease from the previous week. 

Jeddah followed closely with a 9.7 percent dip to SR1.91 billion, while Dammam ranked third, declining 9.2 percent to SR634.68 million.

Al-Qatif saw the smallest decrease, down 3 percent to SR92.35 million, followed by Abha with a 5.5 percent drop to SR285.04 million.

Hail recorded 3.99 million deals in transaction volume, down 12.6 percent from the previous week, while Tabuk reached 4.49 million transactions, falling 10.5 percent.

RIYADH: ����ֱ��’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Tuesday, shedding 21.98 points, or 0.20 percent, to close at 10,769.66. 

The total trading turnover on the main index reached SR4.08 billion ($1.09 billion), with 94 stocks advancing and 159 declining. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also fell, losing 91.69 points to close at 26,144.11, while the MSCI Tadawul Index edged down 0.26 percent to 1,391.13. 

The best-performing stock on the main market was Red Sea International Co., whose share price jumped 9.96 percent to SR45.72. BAAN Holding Group Co. rose 4.98 percent to SR2.32, while Astra Industrial Group gained 4.71 percent to SR149. 

The share price of Methanol Chemicals Co. dropped by 9.92 percent to SR10.62. 

On the announcements front, Saudi Electricity Co. reported a net profit attributable to common shares of SR1.86 billion after deducting profit attributable to Mudaraba instruments for the second quarter, up 113 percent from SR0.87 billion a year earlier. 

The company’s net profit before Mudaraba payments stood at SR6.25 billion, compared to SR5.24 billion in the same quarter of 2024, reflecting a 19.26 percent increase. 

The utility’s share price slipped 0.61 percent to SR14.61. 

First Milling Co. announced it had completed the acquisition of a 100 percent stake in Jeddah-based Al Manar Feed Co. in a deal valued at SR77 million. In a Tadawul filing, the company said the acquisition aligns with its strategy to boost feed production capacity. 

With the purchase, First Milling Co. will add a daily production capacity of 450 tonnes in the feed segment, bringing its total feed output to 1,350 tonnes per day. 

The company’s share price rose 0.28 percent to SR53.20.