Saudi Foreign Trade Surges $173 Billion in Growth During One Year

Majid Al-Qasabi, the Saudi Minister of Commerce, during his participation in the ministerial meeting in the Indian city of Jaipur (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Majid Al-Qasabi, the Saudi Minister of Commerce, during his participation in the ministerial meeting in the Indian city of Jaipur (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Foreign Trade Surges $173 Billion in Growth During One Year

Majid Al-Qasabi, the Saudi Minister of Commerce, during his participation in the ministerial meeting in the Indian city of Jaipur (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Majid Al-Qasabi, the Saudi Minister of Commerce, during his participation in the ministerial meeting in the Indian city of Jaipur (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi on Thursday unveiled several positive outcomes that the Kingdom has achieved as a result of economic reforms, the most prominent of which is the growth of its foreign trade during the past year by a value of $173 billion.

Al-Qasabi’s remarks were made during his participation in the meeting of trade and investment ministers of the G20, held in the Indian city of Jaipur.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” has launched key initiatives to enhance the regional and international integration of the Saudi economy.

Al-Qasabi stated that the volume of non-oil exports in the past year exceeded $28.7 billion, marking a growth rate of 40% for the period from 2018 to 2022.

He also revealed that the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the country has reached 1.2 million establishments, and the sector provides 80% of the jobs in the labor market.

He added that the Saudi Export and Import Bank has provided loans exceeding $4.6 billion. At the same time, he disclosed a yearly growth in e-commerce from 2016 to 2022 by about 33%.

Minister Al-Qasabi highlighted Saudi Arabia’s commitment to continue trade cooperation and integration to support global economic prosperity.

The goal is to reach the second position among the G20 in digital competitiveness according to the “Digital Riser 2021” report, and the sixth among 50 emerging countries in the “Agility” index for the year 2022.

He pointed out that Saudi Arabia ranked 17th out of 64 countries in the annual Global Competitiveness Report for the current year, and 38th out of 138 in the Logistics Performance Index for the year 2023.



Turkish Annual Inflation Falls More Than Expected to 44.38%

A shopkeeper uses his mobile phone as he waits for customers at a popular middle-class shopping district in Istanbul, Türkiye March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File photo
A shopkeeper uses his mobile phone as he waits for customers at a popular middle-class shopping district in Istanbul, Türkiye March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File photo
TT

Turkish Annual Inflation Falls More Than Expected to 44.38%

A shopkeeper uses his mobile phone as he waits for customers at a popular middle-class shopping district in Istanbul, Türkiye March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File photo
A shopkeeper uses his mobile phone as he waits for customers at a popular middle-class shopping district in Istanbul, Türkiye March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File photo

Turkish annual consumer price inflation fell more than expected to 44.38% in December, official data showed on Friday, with education, housing and restaurant prices leading the rise.

Month on month, inflation was 1.03%, the Turkish Statistical Institute said, compared with 2.24% in November. Annual consumer price inflation (CPI) was 47.09% in November.

Furniture prices rose 2.78% from the previous month, data showed, while telecoms-related prices gained by 1.82%.

In a Reuters poll, the annual inflation rate was expected to fall to 45.2%, with the monthly figure seen at 1.61%, owing to easing food price inflation and a limited rise in energy prices.

The latest inflation print was close to the central bank's midpoint prediction of 44% for the end of 2024.

The bank, having kept its main interest rate steady at 50% since March, launched an easing cycle last week, cutting the policy rate by 250 basis points to 47.5%.

The bank said it will set policy "prudently" meeting by meeting with a focus on the inflation outlook while responding to any expected "significant and persistent deterioration".

The Turkish lira was little changed after the data at 35.3850 to the dollar, hovering around the record lows.

The domestic producer price index was up 0.4% month on month in December for an annual rise of 28.52%, the data showed.