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DUBAI - Saudi Arabia's economy grew 7% in the third quarter from a year earlier, official data showed on Tuesday.
The expansion was slightly bigger than official estimates of a 6.8% annual growth during the period.
Quarter-on-quarter, the economy of the world's biggest oil exporter grew by 5.7%, the General Authority for Statistics said.
"Economic growth was mainly driven by oil activities, which increased by 9.3% year-on-year", while the non-oil economy expanded by 6.3% year on year, it added.
The largest Arab economy was hit hard last year by the twin shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and record-low oil prices, but it rebounded this year amid easing coronavirus restrictions, higher oil prices and production hikes.
Riyadh said on Sunday it expected the economy to grow 2.9% this year and 7.4% next year.
(Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Andrew Heavens) ((Davide.Barbuscia@thomsonreuters.com; +971522604297; Reuters Messaging: davide.barbuscia.reuters.com@reuters.net))