Saudi Arabia: MODON Signs SAR500 Million Contract to Establish Vaccine Industrial Company

Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)
Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)
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Saudi Arabia: MODON Signs SAR500 Million Contract to Establish Vaccine Industrial Company

Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)
Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)

Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) has signed a SAR500 million investment agreement with the Vaccine Industrial Company (Vaccine) to set up a joint venture factory in Sadeer City to strengthen the pharmaceutical security system and localize the manufacturing of vaccines and vital medicines in the Kingdom.
This agreement comes in line with MODON's strategy to create an integrated industrial and investment community to attract national and foreign investor partners and to reinforce its initiatives and efforts to enhance the sustainability of the industrial sector, in addition to increasing the pharmaceutical sector's share of GDP and raising the percentage of its exports, in line with the objectives of the national industry strategy to make the Kingdom an attractive hub for quality investments.
The 42,000 square meter plant will create around 150 new jobs and aims to achieve 20% export of seasonal flu virus, COVID-19, chickenpox, and rotavirus vaccines, in addition to pneumococcal and meningitis vaccines, given the strong demand for Saudi pharmaceutical exports in the Gulf and regional countries.



Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
TT

Oil Edges Up on Strong US GDP Data

A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil prices were up slightly on Friday on stronger-than-expected US economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer.

But concerns about soft economic conditions in Asia's biggest economies, China and Japan, capped gains.

Brent crude futures for September rose 7 cents to $82.44 a barrel by 0014 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September increased 4 cents to $78.32 per barrel, Reuters reported.

In the second quarter, the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised rate of 2.8% as consumers spent more and businesses increased investments, Commerce Department data showed. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted US gross domestic product would grow by 2.0% over the period.

At the same time, inflation pressures eased, which kept intact expectations that the Federal Reserve would move forward with a September interest rate cut. Lower interest rates tend to boost economic activity, which can spur oil demand.

Still, continued signs of trouble in parts of Asia limited oil price gains.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital were up 2.2% in July from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, raising market expectations of an interest rate hike in the near term.

But an index that strips away energy costs, seen as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose at the slowest annual pace in nearly two years, suggesting that price hikes are moderating due to soft consumption.

China, the world's biggest crude importer, surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.