By: Elsayed Gamal
Riyadh – Mubasher: Trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and the GCC nations jumped 14.3%, or SAR 11.27 billion ($3 billion), to SAR 90.19 billion ($24.05 billion) during 2018, from SAR 78.92 billion ($21.05 billion) in 2017, the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) reported.
UAE
The UAE accounted for 69.3% of non-oil trade between the GCC and the kingdom with a 23.5% or SAR 11.9 billion growth, reaching SAR 62.5 billion last year, compared to SAR 50.6 billion in 2017, Mubasher reported, citing data from GaStat.
H1-18
Trade exchange between the GCC countries and Saudi Arabia reached SAR 47.156 billion in the first six months of 2018.
Exports
Saudi exports to the GCC rose 1.6% to SAR 32.03 billion from January to December 2018, against SAR 31.53 billion in the year before.
Imports from the GCC to the kingdom increased 33.4% year-on-year to SAR 58.16 billion in the January-December period of 2018, compared to SAR 43.6 billion.
Trade deficit between the GCC and Saudi Arabia surged 116.5% to SAR 26.14 billion last year, against SAR 12.07 billion during 2017.
Translated by: Mohammad Hesham Azab
