RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's population spent about SR10.8 billion during the week starting March 6 to 12, 2022, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) revealed in a report published on Tuesday. Clarifying the total value of operations through points of sale (POS) between the second and third week of March, SAMA said a total of about SR10.8 billion was spent through 135.3 million transactions. Compared to the previous week, the bank said the first week of March has witnessed a decrease in the value of operations by 10.1 percent. Consumers spent about SR1.57 billion on food and beverages, followed by about SR1.54 billion at restaurants and cafes. About SR1.1 billion was spent on various goods and services. The central bank explained that consumers spent SR719.9 million on health, SR854.1 million on clothes and shoes, and SR429.6 million on building and construction materials. The consumer has spent about SR360.8 million on furniture, SR98 million on entertainment and culture, SR288.1 million on electronic and electrical devices. Additionally, a total of SR256.4 million was spent on hotels, SR201.4 million on jewelry, SR141.1 million on education, and SR95.3 million on communications. The bank said SR722.72 million was spent on fuel and SR703.8 million on transportation. According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), transportation prices increased by 4.3 percent, as it was affected by a 26.7 percent increase in gasoline prices in February. The rise in gasoline prices is considered the biggest influence on the inflation for the month of February 2022 compared to the same month in 2021, GASTAT said.
