Rising food prices a problem in Saudi Arabia
Tensions have boiled over in Tunisia and Egypt because of rising prices and a lack of jobs. But despite confident predictions that the oil-rich Gulf is immune, it also faces the same challenges.
In the Middle East's largest economy Saudi Arabia, food price inflation is expected to hit 9% this year. Prices of some items such as beef, chicken and vegetables have nearly doubled in just a few years .
Much of the country's enormous wealth is concentrated in a minority of the population, making food inflation a severe problem for those at the bottom of the social ladder.
Philip Hampsheir reports from Riyadh.
06 Feb 2011
- From the section Business