Fund of $2.9 Bln to Develop 'Al Kidwa' in Makkah

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites announced the establishment of the real estate fund. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites announced the establishment of the real estate fund. (SPA)
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Fund of $2.9 Bln to Develop 'Al Kidwa' in Makkah

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites announced the establishment of the real estate fund. (SPA)
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites announced the establishment of the real estate fund. (SPA)

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC) signed on Tuesday an agreement to establish a SAR 11 billion ($2.9 billion) fund to develop the Al Kidwa area, which is located nearly 500 meters south of the Holy Mosque.

The project will cover an area of 686,056 sq m and include the development of 2,614 properties within the project.

RCMC will facilitate the implementation process by providing alternative solutions for Al Kidwa residents and assisting the fund in obtaining licenses, permits, and approvals required to begin operations.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Cityscape Global which witnessed the participation of the RCMC which plays an integrative role with the Holy Makkah Municipality, Kidana, and the country to showcase the projects and investment opportunities of Makkah.



Gold Firms; Focus on US Data for Cues on Fed's Policy Path

FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo
TT

Gold Firms; Focus on US Data for Cues on Fed's Policy Path

FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo

Gold prices hovered near a four-week peak on Thursday, while focus shifted to jobs report due on Friday for clarity on the Federal Reserve's 2025 interest rate path.
Spot gold edged 0.1% higher to $2,664.30 per ounce, as of 0732 GMT. US gold futures rose 0.4% to $2,681.80
"Prices are trading in a narrow range ... A new trigger is needed for gold to breach its resistance," said Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities in Mumbai.
The bullion hit a near four-week high in the previous session after a weaker-than-expected US private employment report hinted that the Fed may be less cautious about easing rates this year.
The market now awaits US jobs report on Friday for more cues on the Fed's policy path.
Investors are also awaiting Donald Trump to take office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs and protectionist policies are expected to fuel inflation.
Policymakers at the Fed's last meeting also "noted that recent higher-than-expected readings on inflation, and the effects of potential changes in trade and immigration policy, suggested that the process could take longer than previously anticipated," the minutes showed on Wednesday.
Bullion is considered an inflationary hedge, but high rates reduce the non-yielding asset's allure.
"We believe the bulk of the rally has been put in and that while gold's upward momentum may carry it higher in the near term and in early 2025, a combination of physical and financial market factors may tame the rally and drive gold moderately lower by the end of next year," HSBC said in a note.
Elsewhere, physically-backed gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) registered their first inflow in four years, the World Gold Council said.
Spot silver added 0.2% to $30.17 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.3% to $952.54 and palladium shed 0.8% to $921.37.