Arab World vs Saudi Arabia: Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$)
Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$) over time
- Arab World
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Arab World currently reports 99.58 billion BoP, current US$ against 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 72.55 billion BoP, current US$.
That makes Arab World's figure about 3.7 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Arab World ahead.
Arab World ranks 21st and Saudi Arabia ranks 20th of 47 groups.
Arab World has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Arab World | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 56.04 million BoP, current US$ | 0 BoP, current US$ | 56.04 million BoP, current US$ | Arab World |
| 1980s | 703.10 million BoP, current US$ | 296.65 million BoP, current US$ | 406.46 million BoP, current US$ | Arab World |
| 1990s | 370.49 million BoP, current US$ | 76.81 million BoP, current US$ | 293.68 million BoP, current US$ | Arab World |
| 2000s | 14.55 billion BoP, current US$ | 931.90 million BoP, current US$ | 13.62 billion BoP, current US$ | Arab World |
| 2010s | 36.14 billion BoP, current US$ | 7.87 billion BoP, current US$ | 28.27 billion BoP, current US$ | Arab World |
| 2020s | 71.86 billion BoP, current US$ | 21.43 billion BoP, current US$ | 50.43 billion BoP, current US$ | Arab World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher foreign direct investment, net outflows, Arab World or Saudi Arabia?
- Arab World, at 99.58 billion BoP, current US$ against 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in foreign direct investment, net outflows between Arab World and Saudi Arabia?
- 72.55 billion BoP, current US$, with Arab World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Arab World and Saudi Arabia?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2025.
- How do Arab World and Saudi Arabia rank globally for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- Arab World ranks 21st and Saudi Arabia ranks 20th of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world. Data are in current U.S. dollars.