Saudi Energy Minister: I Don’t Have Crystal Ball to Predict Future of Oil Markets

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. (Reuters)
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Saudi Energy Minister: I Don’t Have Crystal Ball to Predict Future of Oil Markets

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaks during 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2023. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Sunday that he does not know what the future of the oil markets holds.

“I don’t have a crystal ball to predict oil prices,” he told the 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh.

At the same time, OPEC+ members are working on preserving the stability of global energy prices, he added.

Moreover, he remarked that Saudi Arabia’s geographic position boosts its ability to reach many parties and expand investments with all countries.

Prince Abdulaziz revealed that Saudi Arabia and China will unveil joint investments, adding that they have a great capacity for bilateral cooperation given Beijing’s growing demand for oil.

“Oil demand in China is still growing so of course we have to capture some of that demand,” he noted. “Instead of competing with China, collaborate with China.”

The Kingdom and China are working on a number of investments, including in renewable energy, he said.

Furthermore, the minister dismissed criticism of the growing relations between Saudi Arabia and China, saying: “I actually ignore it because ... as a business person... now you will go where opportunity comes your way.”

“We don't have to be facing any choice which has to do with (saying) either with us or with the others,” he added.



GASTAT: Unemployment Rate in Saudi Arabia Stabilizes Relatively at 3.5% in Q1 2024

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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GASTAT: Unemployment Rate in Saudi Arabia Stabilizes Relatively at 3.5% in Q1 2024

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The Saudi unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2024 reached 7.6%, compared to 7.8% in the fourth quarter of 2023, said the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in the Labor Market Bulletin for the first quarter of 2024.

The report provides insights into the changes in the labor market during this period, incorporating the revised data from the fourth quarter of 2023 based on the Saudi Census 2022.

The overall unemployment rate - for Saudis and non-Saudis - has relatively stabilized at 3.5% in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 3.4% in Q4 2023.

In the first quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate for Saudi females rose to 14.2%, up from 13.9% in the previous quarter of 2023 and unemployment for Saudi male workers decreased to 4.2% from 4.6% in the previous quarter of 2023.

The labor force participation rate in Q1 2024 for Saudis increased to 51.4%, compared to 50.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023. However, the labor force participation rate for both Saudis and non-Saudis decreased to 66.0% from 67.0% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Moreover, the results also showed that the labor force participation rate for Saudi females increased to 35.8% in the first quarter of 2024, up from 35.0% in the previous quarter. Similarly, for Saudi male workers, the labor force participation rate increased to 66.4% from 65.4% in the previous quarter.

According to GASTAT, the results are based on a household survey conducted by the authority, which electronically collects information from a sample representing different regions of the Kingdom.

Data about the working-age population residing in the Kingdom is thus collected and estimates are made by the authority by calculating important labor market indicators, such as unemployment and labor force participation rates, among others.