RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s car imports in 2023 hit 93,199, utilizing all modes of transportation — land, sea, and air — reflecting nearly a 40 percent growth from the previous year. In the last two years, the Kingdom has imported a total of over 160,000 cars, with 66,870 imports recorded in 2022 alone, according to Hamoud Al-Harbi, the spokesperson for the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority, reported Saudi Press Agency. This positions Saudi Arabia as one of the largest markets globally for automobiles, accounting for more than half of the car sales in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and ranking among the top 20 markets worldwide. According to the authority’s spokesperson, cars were primarily imported from Japan, India, South Korea, the US, and Thailand to the Kingdom during the past two years. Wael Al-Dhayyab, the official spokesperson for the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization, underscored the rigorous efforts undertaken by the Vehicle Inspection Unit in 2023. They inspected 60,473 vehicles to uphold the highest technical and safety standards. Concurrently, 18,150 energy efficiency certificates were issued for tire products, highlighting SASO’s commitment to ensuring tire quality and safety in the Saudi market. Al-Dhayyab emphasized that these endeavors demonstrate the organization’s dedication to enforcing stringent standards, fostering tire quality, and safety. Moreover, he stressed the body’s pivotal role in advancing energy efficiency and endorsing initiatives aimed at enhancing product safety and economic growth. Additionally, Al-Dhayyab noted a significant milestone in 2023, with SASO awarding 172 conformity certificates for electric vehicles, witnessing a 465 percent surge from the previous year. This emphasizes the organization’s crucial role in facilitating the shift toward sustainable energy adoption. Furthermore, he pointed out that the body issued 1,505 fuel efficiency cards for new light vehicles, indicating its commitment to promoting eco-friendly transportation solutions. The surge in the import of motor vehicles led to Saudi banks witnessing a 7.67 percent increase in letters of credit to the private sector in the first 11 months of 2023, compared to the same period the previous year. The data, released by the Saudi Central Bank, revealed that settled LCs and received bills to this sector hit SR155.19 billion ($41.38 billion). LCs, a financial document issued by a bank, guarantee payment to the seller upon fulfilling specified conditions in a trade transaction. The growth is primarily attributed to an upsurge in the import of motor vehicles, accounting for around 75 percent of the overall increase. The import value in this category reached SR39.7 billion, marking a 26.29 percent increase, the data showed.