SAUDI NON-OIL EXPORTS INCREASE

The Saudi Department of General Statistics and Information said in its report that the total value of the Kingdom’s imports last year increased by 29 per cent to SAR338.088bn compared to SAR261.402bn in 2006. The weight of imports rose by seven per cent to 50,181 tonnes compared to 46,736 tonnes in the previous year. The main commodities imported during the past year were electrical machines, equipment and tools, transport machines, base and manufactured metals and foodstuff. The Kingdom’s largest import partners included the United States, China, Germany and Japan, respectively, the report said. At the level of groups, the Kingdom’s import partners included the countries of Western Europe, non-Arab and Muslim Asian states, North American nations and non-Arab Islamic countries, respectively. The weight of exports rose in 2007 by 12 per cent to 39,693 tonnes, compared to 35,286 tonnes in 2006. The most important exported commodities by the Kingdom last year were petrochemicals, plastics, base and manufactured metals and re-export commodities. The largest recipients of Saudi exports included the UAE, China, Kuwait and Qatar, respectively.