The Central Bank of Saudi Arabia revealed that Saudi reserve assets abroad increased by 1.35% by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, to reach about 1.701 trillion riyals ($453.6 billion), compared to about 1.678 trillion riyals ($447.6 billion) in the third quarter of 2020. On an annual basis, foreign reserve assets declined by 9.2% in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 1.873 trillion riyals ($499.6 billion) in the same quarter of 2019.
The increase in foreign reserves came on a quarterly basis, thanks to an increase in securities investments abroad by 5.2% to reach 1.109 trillion riyals ($295.73 billion) by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to about 1.054 trillion riyals ($281.02 billion) at the end of the third quarter of 2019.
Securities investments account for the largest share of reserves, at 65.2%. By the end of last December, Saudi Arabia's foreign reserve assets fell by 0.72% to 1.702 trillion riyals ($453.6 billion), compared to about 1.714 trillion riyals ($456.96 billion) at the end of November 2020.
Source (Al-Arabiya.net website, Edited)
