Saudi nonoil exports rose by 22.2 percent in August to reach SR18.5 billion compared to the figures of the same period last year, Saudi Press Agency said quoting data released by the Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI).

Meanwhile, Saudi imports grew by 19.65 percent to SR56.84 billion compared to the figures of the same period last year, the CDSI report said.

Plastic products topped the Kingdom’s list of exports in August and registered 34.15 percent of nonoil exports valued at SR6.3 billion, the report said.

The report said that chemical products came in the second rank of nonoil exports and valued SR5.47 billion, or 29.52 percent, followed by transport equipment and their parts by 10.82 percent, or SR2 billion, of the total value of exports.

Equipment, machinery and electrical utensils captured the highest value of Saudi imports in August at SR15.74 billion, or 27.88 percent of the total value of imports, followed by transport materials at the value of SR9.65 billion, or 17.10 percent, and ordinary metals and their products at SR6.86 billion, or 12.20 percent, the report said.

The UAE topped the list of major importers from Saudi Arabia by 10.60 percent of the total value of exports in August, followed by China at 10.13 percent and India at 5.96 percent, the report said.

As regards countries from where the Kingdom is importing commodities, China came at the top at 15.42 percent of the total Saudi imports in August, followed by the United States at 12.58 percent, and Germany at 7.10 percent, according the report.