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Saudi Inflation Ticks up for Second Month in Row

A Saudi woman wearing protective gloves shops at a supermarket, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/Files
A Saudi woman wearing protective gloves shops at a supermarket, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/Files
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Saudi Inflation Ticks up for Second Month in Row

A Saudi woman wearing protective gloves shops at a supermarket, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/Files
A Saudi woman wearing protective gloves shops at a supermarket, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri/Files

Saudi Arabia's annual inflation inched up to 3.4% in January from 3.3% a month earlier as higher housing expenses continued to drive up living costs, government data showed on Wednesday.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, with a 25.5% weight of the consumer basket, the largest category, rose 6.6% from a year earlier.

"Actual rents for housing increased by 7.7% in January 2023, reflecting the increase in rents for apartments of 19.3%," the country's General Authority for Statistics said.

Food and beverage prices, which were the main driver of inflation during much of 2022, rose 4.2% from a year earlier.

Compared to December, consumer prices rose 0.2%, the statistics agency said.

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Oil Set for Steepest Weekly Decline in Two Years as Risk Subsides

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Set for Steepest Weekly Decline in Two Years as Risk Subsides

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices rose on Friday though were set for their steepest weekly decline since March 2023, as the absence of significant supply disruption from the Iran-Israel conflict saw any risk premium evaporate.

Brent crude futures rose 50 cents, or 0.7%, to $68.23 a barrel by 1036 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 49 cents, or nearly 0.8%, to $65.73.

During the 12-day war that started after Israel targeted Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13, Brent prices rose briefly to above $80 a barrel before slumping to $67 a barrel after US President Donald Trump announced an Iran-Israel ceasefire.

That put both contracts on course for a weekly fall of about 12%.

"The market has almost entirely shrugged off the geopolitical risk premiums from almost a week ago as we return to a fundamentals-driven market," said Rystad analyst Janiv Shah.

"The market also has to keep eyes on the OPEC+ meeting – we do expect room for one more month of an accelerated unwinding basis balances and structure, but the key question is how strong the summer demand indicators are showing up to be."

The OPEC+ members will meet on July 6 to decide on August production levels.

Prices were also being supported by multiple oil inventory reports that showed strong draws in the middle distillates, said Tamas Varga, a PVM Oil Associates analyst.

Data from the US Energy Information Administration on Wednesday showed crude oil and fuel inventories fell a week earlier, with refining activity and demand rising.

Meanwhile, data on Thursday showed that the independently held gasoil stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell to their lowest in over a year, while Singapore's middle distillates inventories declined as net exports climbed week on week.

Additionally, China's Iranian oil imports surged in June as shipments accelerated before the conflict and demand from independent refineries improved, analysts said.

China is the world's top oil importer and biggest buyer of Iranian crude. It bought more than 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude from June 1-20, according to ship-tracker Vortexa, a record high based on the firm's data.