Al-Badr to Asharq Al-Awsat: Exploring Opportunities for Saudi-Japanese Cooperation in Vital Sectors

Al-Badr talking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Saudi-Japanese round-table meeting.
Al-Badr talking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Saudi-Japanese round-table meeting.
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Al-Badr to Asharq Al-Awsat: Exploring Opportunities for Saudi-Japanese Cooperation in Vital Sectors

Al-Badr talking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Saudi-Japanese round-table meeting.
Al-Badr talking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Saudi-Japanese round-table meeting.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Investment for Communication with Investors, Badr Al-Badr, unveiled joint efforts by the Saudi and Japanese governments to explore investment opportunities in several vital sectors.

Al-Badr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi-Japanese relations were developing at all levels, thanks to the converging visions of the two countries’ leaderships.

He pointed to a round-table meeting, which was organized by the Ministry of Investment on Sunday, in the presence of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Saudi Investment Minister Khaled al-Falih and representatives of a number of government and private agencies, within the framework of the Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030 Committee.

He noted that the meeting was aimed at strengthening economic and investment relations between the Kingdom and Japan, and exploring investment opportunities in a number of sectors, including: petrochemicals, energy, health care, mining, financial and logistical services, technology and infrastructure, and others.

Al-Badr added that 26 agreements and MOUs were signed between major Saudi and Japanese companies, which he said highlighted the volume of investment opportunities that would be activated between the Kingdom and Japan, in many vital sectors.

According to Al-Badr, the two countries, which assume a major role within the G20, are keen to promote and develop joint investments.

Japan is the Kingdom’s third largest trading partner, while 110 Japanese companies operate in the Kingdom in various fields, including energy and technology, the Saudi official said.



Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
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Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Oil prices dipped on Monday amid a strong US dollar ahead of key economic data by the US Federal Reserve and US payrolls later in the week.
Brent crude futures slid 28 cents, or 0.4%, to $76.23 a barrel by 0800 GMT after settling on Friday at its highest since Oct. 14.
US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $73.69 a barrel after closing on Friday at its highest since Oct. 11, Reuters reported.
Oil posted five-session gains previously with hopes of rising demand following colder weather in the Northern Hemisphere and more fiscal stimulus by China to revitalize its faltering economy.
However, the strength of the dollar is on investor's radar, Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova, wrote in a report on Monday.
The dollar stayed close to a two-year peak on Monday. A stronger dollar makes it more expensive to buy the greenback-priced commodity.
Investors are also awaiting economic news for more clues on the Federal Reserve's rate outlook and energy consumption.
Minutes of the Fed's last meeting are due on Wednesday and the December payrolls report will come on Friday.
There are some future concerns about Iranian and Russian oil shipments as the potential for stronger sanctions on both producers looms.
The Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.
Goldman Sachs expects Iran's production and exports to fall by the second quarter as a result of expected policy changes and tighter sanctions from the administration of incoming US President Donald Trump.
Output at the OPEC producer could drop by 300,000 barrels per day to 3.25 million bpd by second quarter, they said.
The US oil rig count, an indicator of future output, fell by one to 482 last week, a weekly report from energy services firm Baker Hughes showed on Friday.
Still, the global oil market is clouded by a supply surplus this year as a rise in non-OPEC supplies is projected by analysts to largely offset global demand increase, also with the possibility of more production in the US under Trump.