Saudi Industry Minister: Kingdom Aspires to Be Effective Economic Partner in Tunisia

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister: Kingdom Aspires to Be Effective Economic Partner in Tunisia

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef stressed on Tuesday that the Kingdom aspires to be an effective economic partner in Tunisia by exploring investment opportunities and sharing them with the private sector, to achieve the objectives of the two countries and boost the level of trade.

Alkhorayef, who headed the Saudi delegation to the 11th Saudi-Tunisian Joint Committee meeting held in Tunis, said Saudi Arabia and Tunisia share a religious, cultural and social heritage, forming a solid basis for further boosting political and economic ties.

The minister commended the positive Tunisian stance toward the Kingdom, and its constant support of Saudi Arabia in all forums, and conveyed the gratitude of the Kingdom for Tunisia’s support for Riyadh to host Expo 2030 and for the Kingdom's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Alkhorayef welcomed the signing of seven memoranda of understanding between the two sides, in the fields of industry, tourism, environment, agricultural scientific research, meteorology, climate, water and labor, on the sidelines of the meeting, and said that they reflect the keenness of the two countries to broaden cooperation.

He expressed satisfaction with the Saudi-Tunisian Investment and Partnership Forum that will be held on Wednesday.

Tunisian Minister of Finance and Interim Minister of Economy and Planning Sihem Nemsia expressed pride in hosting this event in Tunisia, saying it is testimony to the deep ties between the two countries.

She expressed keenness to boost cooperation and joint action to achieve the goals of their people and economic, social and cultural prosperity, peace and security in the Arab region.

She stressed that the event will be an opportunity for participants to consult and agree on programs in order to arrive at the best conditions for fruitful cooperation between the two countries, and to boost access to investment opportunities, develop business and exchange expertise, thus upgrading the global value chains and leveraging the advantages offered by the Tunisian and Saudi economies.

She highlighted Saudi Arabia's support for Tunisia's development process, thanks to the wise leaderships of the two countries. The areas of cooperation have diversified to include economic, social and cultural activities, serving as a true example and a reflection of the depth of historical relations.



Oil Prices Ease on Rising US Inventories, Libyan Output

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
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Oil Prices Ease on Rising US Inventories, Libyan Output

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

Oil prices slid on Wednesday, giving up some of last session's gains, as an increase in US crude stockpiles and easing worries over Libyan supplies weighed on prices, although the decline was limited by potential US tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports.

Brent crude futures fell 18 cents, or 0.2%, to $77.31 a barrel by 0548 GMT, while US crude futures declined 15 cents, or 0.2%, at $73.62 a barrel, Reuters reported.

"While markets are tackling demand side pressures, easing backdrop on supply side is equally weighing over oil prices," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova in Singapore.

"Markets are under pressure with Trump's plans to boost US oil production and await further clarity on Trump's energy policies."

US President Donald Trump began his term last week issuing several executive orders to ease the permitting of energy infrastructure and boost already record-high oil and gas output.

US crude oil and gasoline stocks rose last week, while distillate inventories fell, market sources said on Tuesday, citing American Petroleum Institute figures.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical arm of the US Department of Energy, is due to release its weekly data at 1530 GMT on Wednesday.

The resolution of supply concerns in Libya has also added to selling pressure, said Chiyoki Chen, chief analyst at Sunward Trading in Tokyo.

Those fears eased after the state-run National Oil Corp said on Tuesday export activity was running normally after it held talks with protesters demanding a halt of loadings at one its main oil ports.

The White House said on Tuesday that President Trump still plans to issue 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Saturday.

It remains unclear how any new tariffs could affect oil imports to the US from the countries. Canada supplied 3.9 million barrels per day of oil to the US in 2023, roughly half of overall imports for the year, while Mexico supplied 733,000 bpd, according to data from the EIA.

Oil benchmarks fell to multi-week lows early this week as news of surging interest in Chinese startup DeepSeek's low-cost artificial intelligence (AI) model prompted concerns over energy demand to power data centers, rattling the overall energy sector, while weak economic data from China further soured the demand outlook.

Technology stocks regained ground on Tuesday, a day after the DeepSeek rattled markets.