KSA records highest rise in housing cost after Qatar

(MENAFN- Arab News) The cost of the housing water gas and fuel category in the Kingdom was the second highest in the Gulf region after Qatar during the first five months of this year said a recent report.

The category which comes under the cost of living index for measuring inflation rates has risen by 1.8 percent since the start of the year compared with a 4.1-percent increase in Qatar.

This is thanks to the increasing cost of rent which has pushed up the overall cost of living since the prices of commodities such as water gas and fuel are fixed.

Also included in the housing sub-category are the prices of purchasing and leasing houses and the cost of domestic maintenance.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) came third Kuwait fourth Oman fifth and Bahrain sixth.

The Kingdom by contrast came third for inflation levels relative to the cost of living.

Qatar maintained first place followed by Kuwait the Kingdom Oman and Bahrain.

The UAE by contrast surprisingly saw a marginal decrease in the cost of living during the same period.