Petrochemicals topped the list of Saudi nonoil exports in January, reaching SR3.08 billion, the report said, adding that it accounted for 32 percent of total exports. Plastics came second at SR2.71 billion (28 percent of the total) followed by re-exportable items valued at SR1.41 billion and accounting for 15 percent.
The report said foodstuffs accounted for 9 percent of Saudi exports in January (SR822 million) followed by ordinary metals worth SR522 million.
Non-Arab Asian countries received the lion’s share (29 percent) of Saudi exports valuing at SR2.74 billion, followed by GCC countries 26 percent (SR2.49 billion), other Arab countries (SR1.95 billion), EU countries (SR1.1 billion) and non-Arab Islamic countries SR630 million.
The United Arab Emirates topped the list as it imported Saudi products worth SR1.09 billion, followed by China (SR1.04 billion), Singapore SR548 million, Qatar (SR504 million) and Egypt (SR479 million). The report also showed a 4 percent decrease in Saudi imports from SR29.49 billion in January 2009 to SR28.38 billion.
Machinery, equipment and electric products accounted for 29 percent of imports (SR8.32 billion), followed by cars SR5.52 billion or 20 percent and foodstuffs SR3.96 billion or 14 percent. “In a single month the Kingdom imported medicines worth SR899 million,” the report pointed out. Non-Arab Asian countries were the largest exporters to the Kingdom during the month as they sent goods worth SR9.28 billion or 33 percent, followed by European countries SR8.35 billion or 29 percent, North America SR4.46 billion or 16 percent, GCC SR1.45 billion or 5 percent and non-Arab Islamic countries SR1.43 billion.
The US was the largest single exporter to the Kingdom in January 2010 as it sent goods worth SR4.05 billion or 14 percent of the total, followed by China SR3.39 billion or 12 percent, Germany SR2.49 billion or 9 percent, Japan SR2.21 billion or 8 percent, and South Korea SR1.32 billion or five percent.
The ministry said the Kingdom’s exports of original Saudi products to GCC states reached SR2.05 billion in January 2010 against SR1.99 billion in January 2009, registering a 3 percent increase. The Kingdom’s imports of original GCC products also increased by 3 percent to SR1.45 billion, it added.
