The value of Saudi non-oil exports in October 2009, totaled SR9.44 billion, showing a decline of 1 percent as compared to an amount of SR9.52 billion fetched during the same month in 2008. This figure reflects an overall decrease that was valued at SR76 million. In terms of the volume of overall exports weightage, it witnessed a hike of 24 percent, accounting for 3,514,000 tons in October 2009 as compared to 2,836,000 tons in the same month the previous year. This figure shows a total increase of about 678,000 tons. A latest report of the Central Department of Statistics & Information (CDSI) disclosed that petrochemicals topped the Kingdom”s list of exports in October (These accounted for 28 percent of exports - valued at SR2.7 billion). Plastic products came second (25 percent of exports - valued at SR2.32 billion). It was followed by foodstuffs (9 percent of exports - valued at SR843 million). In addition, 16 percent of the re-exported commodities were worth SR1.50 billion and 16 percent of a number of other exports were valued at SR1.52 billion. CDSI also noted that the UAE topped the list of importers followed by China, Qatar, Singapore and Jordan. CDSI reported that the total value of Saudi imports in October 2009, registered a 32 percent decrease accounting for about SR27.449 billion as compared to SR40.40 million during the same month in 2008, showing an overall decline of SR12.95 billion in value. CDSI also said the volume of the weightage of the imported products showed a 28 percent decrease in October 2009, accounting for 3, 482 billion tons as compared to 4,826 billion tons during the same month last year, with a total decline of 1,344 billion tons. The main imported commodities were electrical machines, equipment and tools, foodstuffs transport machines, base and manufactured metals, petrochemicals, plastics and textile. The US came first as the Kingdom”s major importer followed by China, Japan and Germany. The value of imports from the GCC countries decreased by 11 percent to SR1.42 billion as compared to SR1.59 billion in October of the previous year, registering a total decline in value of about SR172 million. The total value of Kingdom's non-oil exports to the GCC countries in October 2009 decreased by 13 percent to SR2.20 billion as compared to SR2.50 billion in the same month last year, or a decline of SR313 million.
