Saudi PIF to Set Up Sawani Camel Dairy Company

Sawani contributes to the development of the local production system to reach sustainability (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sawani contributes to the development of the local production system to reach sustainability (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi PIF to Set Up Sawani Camel Dairy Company

Sawani contributes to the development of the local production system to reach sustainability (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sawani contributes to the development of the local production system to reach sustainability (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has set up the Sawani Company to enable the growth of the Saudi camel farming industry and actively contribute to its sustainable development.

Sawani aims to be a leading producer of camel dairy products, supporting Saudi Arabia's wider Food and Agriculture sector and helping to diversify the Saudi economy, in line with Vision 2030.

The company will work in partnership with the private sector to boost the production capacity of the camel dairy industry and seek to elevate the standards of the domestic production ecosystem by modernizing operations, improving the localization of knowledge, and investing in the sector's latest technologies.

PIF has invested strategically in the Food and Agriculture sector to help diversify the Saudi economy and support its unique produce industries.

Among these investments are its creation of the Saudi Coffee Company, which promotes Saudi Khulani coffee beans, and the Halal Products Development Company, which invests in the halal products sector.

Since 2017, PIF has established 84 companies in 13 strategic sectors.

Sawani will place sustainability at the center of all production, distribution, and marketing stages and raise awareness of camel dairy products' health benefits among consumers.

It will also showcase the unique history and cultural heritage of camel husbandry within Saudi Arabia.

Camel milk is commonly known for its nutritional benefits, including high amounts of minerals and vitamins such as A, B, E, and C.

It is also rich in calcium, protein, and antioxidants, considered low in cholesterol, and is easy to digest.

The Head of PIF's Consumer Goods and Retail in the Mena Investments Division, Majed al-Assaf, said Saudi Arabia has extensive experience and knowledge of the camel dairy industry and enormous potential to expand its operational capabilities and the broader ecosystem.

Assaf noted that these factors are a competitive advantage across the entire supply chain, which, alongside investment, "will enable significant growth of the industry, and eventually lead to the export of camel dairy products, which have many nutritional benefits, to regional and global markets."

The establishment of Sawani will support the growth of the Food and Agriculture sector and contribute to sustainable economic and social development, in line with Vision 2030.

A key part of the company's strategy is to increase awareness and knowledge of the industry to preserve it and drive sustainable growth by introducing the best scientific practices in modern manufacturing technologies locally.



Oil Rises as Investors Return From Holidays, Eye China Recovery

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Rises as Investors Return From Holidays, Eye China Recovery

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices nudged higher on Thursday, the first day of trade for 2025, as investors returning from holidays cautiously eyed a recovery in China's economy and fuel demand following a pledge by President Xi Jinping to promote growth.
Brent crude futures rose 17 cents, or 0.06%, to $74.82 a barrel by 0547 GMT after settling up 65 cents on Tuesday, the last trading day for 2024. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 19 cents, or 0.26%, to $71.91 a barrel after closing 73 cents higher in the previous session, Reuters reported.
China's Xi said on Tuesday in his New Year's address that the country would implement more proactive policies to promote growth in 2025.
China's factory activity grew in December, according to the private-sector Caixin/S&P Global survey on Thursday, but at a slower than expected pace amid concerns over the trade outlook and risks from tariffs proposed by US President-elect Donald Trump.
The data echoed an official survey released on Tuesday that showed China's manufacturing activity barely grew in December, though services and construction recovered. The data suggested policy stimulus is trickling into some sectors as China braces for new trade risks.
Traders are returning to their desks and probably weighing higher geopolitical risks and also the impact of Trump running the US economy red hot versus the impact of tariffs, IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said.
"Tomorrow's US ISM manufacturing release will be key to crude oil's next move," Sycamore added.
Sycamore said WTI's weekly chart is winding itself into a tighter range, which suggests a big move is coming.
"Rather than trying to predict in which way the break will occur, we would be inclined to wait for the break and then go with it," he added.
Investors are also awaiting weekly US oil stocks data from the Energy Information Administration that has been delayed until Thursday due to the New Year holiday.
US crude oil and distillate stockpiles are expected to have fallen last week while gasoline inventories likely rose, an extended Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.
US oil demand surged to the highest levels since the pandemic in October at 21.01 million barrels per day (bpd), up about 700,000 bpd from September, EIA data showed on Tuesday.
Crude output from the world's top producer rose to a record 13.46 million bpd in October, up 260,000 bpd from September, the report showed.
In 2025, oil prices are likely to be constrained near $70 a barrel, down for a third year after a 3% decline in 2024, as weak Chinese demand and rising global supplies offset efforts by OPEC+ to shore up the market, a Reuters monthly poll showed.
In Europe, Russia halted gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine on New Year's Day. The widely expected stoppage will not impact prices for consumers in the European Union as some buyers have arranged alternative supply, while Hungary will keep receiving Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline under the Black Sea.