S&P keeps Saudi Arabia at A+ as it tests resilience, not just growth

S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s A+ sovereign rating and kept its outlook stable, meaning it does not expect the country’s assessed ability to repay debt to change soon. The agency’s case rests partly on practical oil-export flexibility: Saudi Arabia can reroute crude to the Red Sea and has substantial storage and refining capacity, giving it options during regional disruption. It also pointed to resilient non-oil activity, high foreign-exchange reserves and the government’s ability to slow or reorder Vision 2030 projects if needed to limit deficits and debt growth. The decision is not a claim that risks have disappeared; it is a vote of confidence that Saudi Arabia still has enough financial and operational buffers to absorb them.