RIYADH: Spending on education in Saudi Arabia increased by 141.1 percent for the week ending Jan. 24, as students returned to the classroom after the mid-year break.
This was accompanied by a 7 percent increase in spending on books and stationery, which reached SR146.17 million ($38.9 million).
According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, the over POS value dropped 10.6 percent to SR12.52 billion, with transactions representing a 9.7 percent week-on-week decrease to 213.62 million.
This week saw negative changes across all the remaining sectors. Spending on bakeries and pastries saw an 18.4 percent decline to SR229.71 million, while gas stations saw an 11 percent drop. Professional and business services decreased by 11.6 percent.
Expenditure on apparel and clothing fell by 19.7 percent to SR985.94 million, followed by a 2.8 percent drop in spending on jewelry.
