Saudi Private Sector Urged to Reveal Challenges

One of the branches of the Saudi Business Center concerned with facilitating procedures for starting businesses in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the branches of the Saudi Business Center concerned with facilitating procedures for starting businesses in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Private Sector Urged to Reveal Challenges

One of the branches of the Saudi Business Center concerned with facilitating procedures for starting businesses in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the branches of the Saudi Business Center concerned with facilitating procedures for starting businesses in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi authorities have called on the local private sector to report challenges facing companies and institutions in the Saudi market.

Since the launch of Vision 2030, the Saudi government has been seeking to identify and address the difficulties facing the private sector to enable it to play a vital role in advancing the national economy.

According to information available to Asharq Al-Awsat, Aug. 10 was set as the deadline for receiving reports on the obstacles facing local companies and institutions.

The Saudi government is launching many economic reforms, including amending legislation and regulations for a better business environment in the Kingdom.

These reforms have contributed to raising the quality, efficiency and digitization of government services provided to the private sector, in addition to the establishment of many programs, initiatives, financing funds, business incubators and accelerators.

The government is working to accelerate the pace of the private sector business and raise its contribution to the GDP to 65 percent by 2030.

The Federation of Saudi Chambers periodically assesses obstacles facing the private sector, through meetings and workshops that are aimed at facilitating communication with government agencies.

The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ensures the integration and coordination of efforts between its programs and government agencies to raise the quality of services available to companies and institutions, facilitate the business environment and promote unexploited economic sectors, in addition to attracting foreign investments.



Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
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Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Gold prices breached the crucial $3,200/oz level for the first time on Friday, fueled by a weaker dollar and an escalating trade war that sent investors rushing toward safe-haven assets.
Spot gold was up 0.6% at $3,192.79 an ounce, as of 0555 GMT. Bullion scaled an all-time peak of $3,219.84 earlier in the session, and has gained around 5% this week.
US gold futures climbed nearly 2% to $3,237.50, Reuters reported.
"The rapid weakening of the US dollar seems to be the main driver of gold's rebound at the moment. That seems to reflect an ongoing exodus from USD-based assets, with stocks and bonds' selloff amid tariff policy uncertainty," said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.
The dollar was down nearly 1% against its major peers, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers. Major stock indexes also fell after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, but hit a 90-day pause on previously announced tariffs for dozens of countries.
China has been matching Trump's tariff hikes, sparking fears that Beijing could push duties on the US beyond the current 84%.
"$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at. I suspect we won't get there immediately or without bumps along the way," Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
Apart from tariffs, central bank demand, expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Europe, and increased flows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds also fueled the metal's rally this year.
US consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March but inflation risks are tilted to the upside, data showed.
Traders now bet that the Fed will resume cutting rates in June and probably reduce by a full percentage point by the end of 2025.
Spot silver was steady at $31.2 an ounce, while platinum eased 0.2% to $936.55. Palladium gained 0.7% to $914.55.