Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Arabia raised its holdings of US Treasury bonds and notes by 48.9% year-on-year during November 2017, the US Treasury Department said on Thursday.

Saudi holdings of US government bonds hit $149 billion by the end of November 2017, compared to $100.1 billion a year earlier, the US body added.

On a monthly basis, the kingdom increased its holdings of US Treasuries by 2.6%, or $3.8 billion, to $145.2 billion.

At the international level, China is the top holder of US Treasuries with $1.18 trillion, followed by Japan with $1.08 trillion, while Saudi Arabia ranked 11th.

Saudi Arabia came first amid the Arab holders of US’s debt instruments, followed by the UAE with $58.2 billion, and Kuwait with $36.8 billion.