Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.9% in September from 1.8% in August, data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed on Thursday, October 15.
The consumer price index was unchanged from August, after a 0.1% monthly rise the month before, Arab News reported, citing the GASTAT figures.
Annual inflation had held at 1.8% from May through August, Economy Middle East reported.
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 3.6% from a year earlier, down from 3.9% in August. The category added about 0.7 percentage points to headline inflation, the largest contribution of any group.
GASTAT said the housing increase came from a 3.5% rise in actual rents.
Transport prices climbed 2.3% year on year, up from 2% in August. Food and beverages rose 1.4%, unchanged from the previous month. Each added about 0.3 percentage points to the annual rate.
Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services rose 3.3%, led by a 12.9% increase in jewelry and watch prices.
Recreation, sport and culture costs rose 2.5%, with holiday packages up 4.5%. Insurance and financial services rose 2%, restaurants and accommodation 1.9%, and education 1.3%.
Furnishings and household equipment fell 0.5% and clothing and footwear dropped 0.4% from a year earlier.
On a monthly basis, education rose 1.2% and actual rents gained 0.2%. Recreation fell 0.6% and restaurants and accommodation services dropped 0.5%.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Dubai’s annual inflation eased to 5.03% in September from 5.54% in August, and Oman’s slowed to 3.2% from 3.4%, according to Arab News.
GASTAT compiles the index from a basket of 582 items, based on spending patterns from its 2023 household income and expenditure survey.
