Money-supply growth in Saudi Arabia slowed to 19.3 percent in April as the government moved to control inflation.

M3, the broadest measure of money circulating in the Saudi economy, grew to 826.21 billion riyals ($220.3 billion) in the year to April 30, compared with 692.38 billion riyals a year earlier, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) data showed.

Growth was 23 percent in March and 26.2 percent in February.

Month-on-month, April money supply fell for the first time in at least a year.

Central bank net foreign assets surged 48.4 percent to 1.32 trillion riyals, the data showed. - Reuters