CAIRO:  The Saudi finance ministry said on Saturday it has completed the payment of more than 73 billion riyals ($19.46 billion), 97% of total private sector dues, during the first half of 2021, the ministry wrote on Twitter.

($1 = 3.7505 riyals)

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Marwa Rashad, editing by Louise Heavens) ((Nayera.Abdallah@thomsonreuters.com;))