18/09/2013
Amounted to 16.5 billion riyals in July
Saudi Arabia non-petroleum exports rise 7.4%
Saudi Arabia's non- petroleum commodity exports for last July raised from 7.4 percent, to $ 16.5 billion, compared with the same period in the previous year, while imports fell by 7 per cent to 50.5 billion compared with the same period of the previous year. The Central Department of statistics and information said in a report published yesterday, the exports of chemical products and related ranked first with a total value of 5.8 billion, 35.13 per cent of the total value of non-petroleum commodity exports.
Plastics, rubber and articles was ranked second with a value of $ 5.2 billion, representing 31.59per cent, while the transport equipment and parts ranked third by 6.87 per cent of the total value of exports. The report confirmed that the machinery and equipment and electrical machinery and parts ranked first in terms of the value of imports amounted to 12.3 billion by 24.51% of total import value, and transport equipment and parts ranked second with value of 8.8 billion by 17.44 percent, and third in normal metals and products thereof worth 6.6 billion by 13.16 percent.
The report revealed that China topped the list of importing sources in terms of the value of non-petroleum commodity exports, capturing a 13.91 percent of the total export value, the second UAE 10.78 percent, Singapore by 6.91 percent. The report noted that China ranked first in the list of countries importing them in July last year by 14.35 percent of total imports, followed by America at 12.38 percent, Germany at 6.90 percent. The 'economic' Saifullah Sharbatly, former member of the Committee in the Jeddah Chamber, chemical products ranked first in exports, noting that Saudi Arabia had succeeded in the petrochemical industry and the focus must be on this industry, and about the increase in the imports of machinery and equipment, electrical machinery and parts, between the existing projects, urbanization, infrastructure projects, universities and economic cities, contributed to an increase in imports of machinery and equipment, said: '' China topped the source of imported states because they are the largest importer of Saudi oil, and imports from China is the best almost because of price competition and quality '. Zakaria Shaheen General Director for trade in Shaheen Foundation said, skilled manpower in China raised the value of Chinese exports to world markets, particularly in the Saudi market. The skilled manpower unfounded in Saudi Arabia, where depends on the unqualified labor, while becoming qualified manpower to many markets, including the Chinese market that attracts qualified hands.
