Saudi's non-oil exports up 22% on year in June

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports increased 22 per cent to 10.7 billion Saudi riyals (Dh10.4 billion) in June, from 8.7 billion riyals in the year-earlier period, data from the Central Department of Statistics and Information, or CDSI, showed Sunday.

The kingdom's imports in June inched down 1 per cent to 29.2 billion riyals, compared with 29.5 billion riyals in the corresponding period in 2009, according to the CDSI data.

The kingdom's main imports were electrical appliances, transport vehicles and food products. Saudi's main non-oil exports during the period were plastics, petrochemicals and metals, with plastic products worth 3.6 billion riyals, accounting for 33 per cent of the total non-oil exports.

The UAE was the top importer of Saudi non-oil goods in June, followed by Singapore, China, India and Kuwait, according to CDSI. The top exporter to the kingdom, the Arab world's largest economy, was the US.

Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports rose 39 per cent to 11.9 billion riyals in May, from 8.5 billion riyals in the year-earlier period, while imports increased 4 per cent to 32.9 billion riyals during the same period.