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Saudi-French Investment Forum: A Bridge for Promising New Partnerships

French President Emmanuel Macron receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace in the capital city of Paris last Friday (AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace in the capital city of Paris last Friday (AP)
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Saudi-French Investment Forum: A Bridge for Promising New Partnerships

French President Emmanuel Macron receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace in the capital city of Paris last Friday (AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron receives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace in the capital city of Paris last Friday (AP)

The Saudi-French Investment Forum, held in Paris, has successfully generated immense interest and extraordinary participation from both Saudi and French representatives.

According to both French and Saudi sources, the visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Paris had the most significant impact in providing a fresh prominence to the forum.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had launched the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the extensive projects it entails across diverse sectors, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s investment capabilities and the importance of the Saudi market in terms of value and size.

The forum itself is just one component of “Saudi Days in France,” which commenced with a closed-door meeting between the Crown Prince and President Emmanuel Macron. This was subsequently followed by an expanded gathering that included members from both delegations.

It was evident that the Elysee Summit, held last Friday, sparked a strong momentum towards enhancing Saudi-French relations across various sectors, including key strategic sectors.

While the statement issued by the Elysee Palace enumerated the collaborative sectors that both parties are pursuing, it emphasized their shared desire to extend cooperation and partnerships to broader domains.

It also underscored France’s commitment, both from the government and private institutions, to “accompany” Saudi Arabia in its major projects across all fields.

It is no secret that the primary objective of the forum revolves around revitalizing existing partnerships and forging new ones within the private sector of both the Kingdom and France. This includes exploring new investment opportunities across various sectors.

While Saudi Arabia is setting orientations that diligently strive to diversify its economy and prepare for a post-oil era, France also has its own Vision 2030 and a compass pointing toward "green economy" and sustainable development.

There are many similarities between the two plans.

The investment forum’s proceedings delved into exploring joint investment opportunities in sectors such as technology, culture, tourism, hospitality, energy, and construction. All of this was aimed at entering mutually beneficial partnerships for both parties.

The speeches delivered by the Saudi Ministers of Investment, Tourism, and Communications were characterized by utmost clarity in expressing Saudi Arabia’s progressive orientations.

At the forefront of these orientations is the facilitation of investors' endeavors and the firm affirmation that all sectors are open to partnerships and collaboration.

Like other countries, France requires hundreds of billions of dollars in investments as it pursues goals pertaining to green economy, carbon-neutral industries, clean energy, and sustainable development.

France views these endeavors as significant opportunities for Saudi investors within the framework of partnership, development, and collaboration.

 

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Oil Rises After 4 Sessions of Decline... Brent Above $101

FILE PHOTO: Flames and smoke rise from the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which has been on fire since August 23, after an attack by Houthi militants, on the Red Sea, September 12, 2024 in this handout image. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES/Handout via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Flames and smoke rise from the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which has been on fire since August 23, after an attack by Houthi militants, on the Red Sea, September 12, 2024 in this handout image. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES/Handout via REUTERS
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Oil Rises After 4 Sessions of Decline... Brent Above $101

FILE PHOTO: Flames and smoke rise from the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which has been on fire since August 23, after an attack by Houthi militants, on the Red Sea, September 12, 2024 in this handout image. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES/Handout via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Flames and smoke rise from the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which has been on fire since August 23, after an attack by Houthi militants, on the Red Sea, September 12, 2024 in this handout image. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES/Handout via REUTERS

Oil prices gained on Tuesday after declining for four consecutive sessions as investors awaited developments on potential US-Iran talks at the United Nations General Assembly this week after more supplies emerged through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

The Brent crude futures November contract rose $1.29, or 1.29%, to $101.63 a barrel at 0758 GMT. The WTI October contract, which expires on Tuesday, climbed 92 cents, or 0.96%, to $96.70 a barrel, Reuters reported.

The more actively traded November contract was up 80 cents, or 0.87%, at $93.17 a barrel.

Tehran and Washington exchanged threats on Sunday, though US President Donald Trump said he would be open to ⁠meeting Iranian President Masoud ⁠Pezeshkian, who is expected to be in New York this week for the UN meeting.

The rebound in crude suggests traders need fresh developments on supply risks or diplomatic efforts before pushing prices materially lower, said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Over the weekend, Iran also reportedly conveyed its conditions to mediators for re-engaging in negotiations.

"Oil exports from the Middle East have recovered but remain well below pre-conflict averages," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Hansen said he does not see much further downside in oil prices until there is increased supply through the Strait of Hormuz, particularly refined products, where the real crunch remains.

Separately, an armed group closed valve seven on Libya's Sharara crude pipeline to Zawiya port on Monday, resulting in a significant decline in production at the Sharara oilfield, Libya's National Oil Corporation said in a statement.

Production at the field has fallen by around 200,000 barrels per day and is currently between 100,000 and 105,000 bpd, two engineers at the field told Reuters.

Business

Binance Reportedly Under US Scrutiny Over Possible Iran Sanctions Violations

FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Binance Reportedly Under US Scrutiny Over Possible Iran Sanctions Violations

FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

US federal prosecutors are investigating whether Binance violated sanctions on Iran by failing to prevent certain trading activity on its platform, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Here are a few details:

The probe is being led by the Manhattan US attorney's office, with the Justice Department's criminal division in Washington ⁠also involved, Bloomberg News ⁠reported, adding that authorities are examining whether Binance knowingly allowed the trading.

Binance said in a statement that it has a zero-tolerance approach to sanctions violations. "We fully cooperate with law enforcement, and ⁠we remain committed to rooting out and shutting down bad actors."

The DOJ declined to comment to Reuters, while the Manhattan US attorney's office could not immediately be reached for a comment outside regular business hours.

Binance has faced US scrutiny in the past. In 2023, Binance's then-chief Changpeng Zhao stepped down and pleaded guilty to breaking US ⁠anti-money ⁠laundering laws as part of a $4.3 billion settlement resolving a years-long probe into the world's largest crypto exchange.

The US government earlier this month imposed sanctions on firms and individuals it says are helping Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the Middle East, intensifying its campaign to isolate Iran economically.

Business

World Bank, IMF Back Changes to Debt Framework for Poor Countries

01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)
01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)
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World Bank, IMF Back Changes to Debt Framework for Poor Countries

01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)
01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund said on Monday that both their executive boards had approved proposed reforms of their joint framework for evaluating the debt of low-income countries to reflect a more complex and riskier environment.

A joint review, the first since 2017, recommended changes in several areas, including beefing up the analysis of domestic debt held by poor countries, and broadening consideration of long-term development challenges, including climate change. It stopped short of calling for a wholesale redesign.

The reforms are intended to refine how the IMF and World Bank measure a country's debt-carrying capacity and provide new tools to better differentiate between countries facing some risk of debt stress and those whose debt is deemed unsustainable.

The World Bank and IMF said they would also work ‌to enhance the tools ‌and stress tests used to ensure the consistency and accuracy of forecasts, while ‌encouraging ⁠countries to improve reporting ⁠and transparency of their debt data. They left the discount rate used in making assessments unchanged at 5%.

"Overall, our goal is a very practical one. It is to help countries identify vulnerabilities earlier and also more precisely, so that they can make better-informed financing choices and better-informed policy choices," said Allison Holland, who worked on the new debt sustainability framework and now serves as deputy director in the IMF's African Department.

Holland said recent shocks had reversed improvements in the debt landscape seen since 2021, taking the number of countries at high risk or already in debt distress back ⁠to pre-pandemic levels.

"Around 14% of low-income countries are in debt distress, and another 33% ‌are at high risk. About 23% of emerging market countries are at ‌high risk of overall sovereign stress," she said.

The revised framework could help inform a debt restructuring requested earlier this month ‌by Senegal in exchange for a $2.2 billion IMF bailout two years after a hidden debt scandal that pushed ‌it into crisis. The IMF has said it will assess Senegal's debt sustainability using the current framework, "while taking into account the implications of the transition" to the new one.

The IMF has not provided details on how the revised framework — with consideration of domestic debt — could affect Senegal's debt restructuring.

TAKING EFFECT IN SECOND HALF OF 2027

The changes, which will become operational in the second half ‌of 2027, should help countries better assess how much they can invest in needed development and climate adaptation measures while containing debt vulnerabilities over the long ⁠term, the IMF and World ⁠Bank said.

A review completed in July confirmed that the debt sustainability framework, first introduced in 2005, had worked well to identify debt distress episodes ahead of time and help countries make informed borrowing and lending decisions.

But it recommended changes to account for higher debt levels in many low-income countries and a shift in financing sources to include more domestic and external borrowing on commercial terms. The IMF and World Bank have a separate framework for assessing the debt sustainability of advanced and emerging market economies that will be reviewed in coming years.

The IMF said near- and medium-term economic projections that feed into the analyses had generally been reliable, but longer-term forecasts of exports and revenues had shown some "optimism bias" and left data gaps, including for state-owned enterprises.

The new framework introduces a long-term module to add granularity to risk assessments, as well as specific thresholds for overall public debt stress.

But IMF board members agreed to temporarily hold off publishing the models used to assess unsustainable debt to give time to adjust to the new methodologies. Stand-alone staff notes would be used to share data with the board for now, it said.