RIYADH, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi General Authority for Statistics announced on Sunday that the annual inflation rate in the kingdom reached 1.6 percent in August.
The authority highlighted in a report that the percentage is primarily attributed to an 8.9 percent rise in the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, and a 0.9 percent increase in the prices of food and beverages.
The report revealed that the actual housing rents increased by 10.7 percent this month, which is influenced by a 10.8 percent increase in apartment rental prices.
Food and beverage prices increased by 0.9 percent, thanks to a 4.6 percent rise in vegetable prices, the report showed.
Restaurant and hotel prices also rose by 1.6 percent.
On the other hand, prices of furnishing and home equipment decreased by 3.5 percent; clothing and footwear prices decreased by 3.2 percent; transportation prices decreased by 3.4 percent, which was affected by a 4.9 percent decrease in vehicle purchase prices, data showed. ■
