Prices of Saudi commodities rise in September

Prices of 65 goods and services in Saudi Arabia decreased year-on-year (YoY) in September, while prices of 94 commodities rose, official data issued by the Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed.

The classification of commodities was revised by GASTAT in June 2019, to include food and beverages, tobacco, clothes, construction materials, detergents, healthcare, maintenance and repair of personal means of transportation, fodder, hotels and apartments, and personal commodities and services.

Prices of 50 out of 91 food products items increased YoY for the month, while prices of other 38 products declined.

Eggs saw the biggest drop at 18 percent YoY, while prices of US cardamom jumped the most by 31 percent YoY.

Meanwhile, prices of 22 construction materials increased for the month, while the prices of 16 other materials decreased. Steel rebars prices saw the biggest drop of 6 percent, while the prices of black cement rose the most by 11 percent.

Prices of most fodder and livestock products increased in September.

For clothes, prices of four commodities saw a decline, while prices of six others increased.

Among the four personal services, three saw a price rise in September.

Prices of two out of four detergents increased when compared to the previous year.

Elsewhere, prices of all healthcare services were up in September.

Prices of one service under the maintenance and repair of personal means of transportation decreased in September, with the other one rising YoY.

On the other hand, prices of only one hotel and apartment services dropped on an annual basis in September.

Under tobacco, prices of Marlboro cigarettes edged up YoY in September.