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Saudi inflation grows to 4.9 pct in July Increase attributed to the growth in demand during the summer season as well as the build up for the month of Ramadan
Saudi Arabia's annual inflation reached 4.9 per cent in July 2011, up from 4.7 per cent in June 2011, according to the Saudi Central Department of Statistics and information. Prices rose 1.2 per cent on a monthly basis, whereas CPI reached 135.8. The increase is attributed to the growth in demand during the summer season as well as the build up for the month of Ramadan,characterizedby heavy consumption, which conincdies this year with August. Beltone Financial, a leading cairo based investment bank, expects inflation to accelerate throughout 2011 on basis of growth in money supply. It, however, forecasts that the weakening global commodity prices will offset some of the imported inflationary pressures in Saudi Arabia. A possibly depreciating US Dollar could increase Saudi Arabia's cost of imports and force inflation rate to soar, according to the investment bank's note. However, this would not have a drastic effect as commodity prices are expected to continue to fall.