Saudi-Uzbek Committee Discusses Investment Opportunities Worth $31 Bn

Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi-Uzbek Committee Discusses Investment Opportunities Worth $31 Bn

Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee is set to discuss 50 potential investment opportunities worth approximately $31 billion in Uzbekistan, Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih has announced.

The Committee held its sixth meeting in Riyadh, chaired by Falih from the Saudi side and the Deputy Prime Minister, Jamshid Khodjaev, from the Uzbek side.

Falih pointed out that these projects aim to achieve the target of $110 billion in foreign investments within the goals of the Uzbekistan 2030 strategy.

The Saudi Minister emphasized the compatibility of economic goals through Uzbekistan's National Development Strategy 2023-2030, the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and the National Investment Strategy.

He also pledged full support for the efforts of the Saudi-Uzbek Business Council, which plays a crucial role in bringing together the private sectors of both countries.

The meeting aimed to identify specific areas of cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting discussed several topics related to developing bilateral cooperation in the economic, trade, and investment fields. It also reviewed the promising investment opportunities between the two countries and the business environment in both nations.

The meeting stressed the importance of strengthening joint work and pushing relations to new and promising horizons, boosting the economic and social partnership between the two countries and transferring it to a broader scope.

It also addressed the continued work to enable partnership between the private sector, encourage mutual investments, enhance trade exchange, and overcome any challenges facing the development of economic relations.

Furthermore, the two sides praised the joint projects and investments in energy, renewable energy, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and human resources development.

The meeting concluded with the signing of several memorandums of understanding between the private sectors of the two countries and the minutes of the sixth committee meeting that included multiple joint initiatives and work programs.



Turkish Central Bank Governor: Decisive Tight Policy Contains Re-dollarization Risks

Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas//File Photo
Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas//File Photo
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Turkish Central Bank Governor: Decisive Tight Policy Contains Re-dollarization Risks

Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas//File Photo
Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas//File Photo

Turkish central bank governor Fatih Karahan said that monetary policy has been proactive and that re-dollarization risks are contained by a decisive tight policy stance, with retail FX demand more limited compared to March 2024.

In the text of a presentation which he made in Washington on Wednesday, Karahan said monetary policy transmission has improved considerably over the last year and that disinflation is continuing, "but risks are alive".

The bank hiked its main policy rate to 46% from 42.5% and lifted the overnight lending rate to 49% last Thursday. The move reversed an easing cycle in response to market turmoil triggered by the arrest of Istanbul's mayor last month, Reuters reported.

The tight monetary stance will be maintained until price stability is achieved via a sustained decline in inflation, Karahan said in the presentation on Wednesday.

The decisiveness regarding tight monetary stance is strengthening the disinflation process, he said.

Karahan said the pass-through effect on inflation of a weaker currency is modest, reflecting improvement in pricing behaviour, while falling oil prices support disinflation, but the global economic outlook is uncertain.

He also said demand has exceeded expectations, driven by goods consumption.

He said currency pass-through is expected to be around 35-40%, considerably lower than that during the summer of 2023, declining amid lower forex-protected KKM account balances, improved inflation expectations and moderating demand.