Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Arabia has recorded a SAR 4.6 billion ($1.23 billion) trade surplus with the GCC in 2017, compared to SAR 7.56 billion ($2.02 billion) in the year before.

Saudi non-oil merchandise exports to the GCC nations rose 2.9% to SAR 49.98 billion ($13.33 billion) in the previous year, from SAR 48.59 billion ($12.96 billion) in 2016, the Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ (GASTAT) data showed on Thursday. 

The GCC exports to the kingdom increased 10.6% year-on-year or SAR 4.35 billion ($1.16 billion) in 2017, the state-run statistics entity said. 

Saudi commodity imports from the GCC amounted to SAR 45.38 billion ($12.1 billion) during 2017, up from SAR 41.03 billion ($10.94 billion) in 2016, the data found.