Saudi inflation rises

Official statistics indicate that Saudi Arabia's annual inflation rate rose to its highest level since June, up from 4.1% in January to 4.6% in February, on rising food costs, Reuters has reported. Month-on-month, the inflation rate in the world's largest oil exporter, as measured by the cost of living index, stood at 0.5% in February, up from 0.2% in January. The kingdom's index of cost of living rose to 126.1 points in February from 120.6 points a year earlier, the data showed.