Saudi Investment Ministry Signs 12 MoUs with Int’l Companies at World Defense Show 2024

World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh (SPA)
World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh (SPA)
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Saudi Investment Ministry Signs 12 MoUs with Int’l Companies at World Defense Show 2024

World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh (SPA)
World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh (SPA)

The Ministry of Investment has concluded its participation in the World Defense Show 2024, held in Riyadh, where it showcased available investment opportunities in the Kingdom as well as the support services it offers to investors as it leads the national endeavor to improve the investment climate in the Kingdom, SPA said on Friday.
During the four-day conference that ended Thursday, the Ministry of Investment and the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) signed 12 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with international companies working in the defense sector -- including Airbus, Leonardo industrial group, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Roketsan, and others -- in a bid to enhance cooperation in areas related to investment in the defense sector in the Kingdom.
It discussed a wide range of investment opportunities that will contribute to achieving the Kingdom's ambitious goals to increase the contribution of foreign direct investment to gross domestic product (GDP) to 5.7%, the contribution of the private sector to GDP to 65%, and to localize 50% of spending on the military sector by 2030.
The Ministry of Investment also sponsored an agreement to establish a joint entity between Qudra Industrial Co. and Steelcore Inc. to localize, manufacture, and innovate small arms.
The World Defense Show is held every two years with the aim of empowering defense and security institutions to keep pace with defense developments and technical solutions in line with the targets of the Saudi Vision 2030.



Dollar General Forecasts Tepid 2025 due to Strained Consumer Spending

A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
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Dollar General Forecasts Tepid 2025 due to Strained Consumer Spending

A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo

Dollar General on Thursday forecast annual sales and profit targets below estimates, joining a growing list of retailers that have signalled a grim year as still-high inflation and economic uncertainty dent consumer spending.

Retailers including Walmart, Target, Home Depot and Best Buy have raised caution about weak consumer spending in 2025 due to tariff uncertainty, as well as potential price hikes the levies would bring about, Reuters reported.

Shares of Dollar General were, however, up about 5% in premarket trading, as the discount retailer beat estimates for holiday-quarter sales and profit. The stock has slumped nearly 70% over the last two years.

The company benefitted from improving its private-label brands selling everyday essentials, and remodelling its stores as part of a turnaround plan laid out by CEO Todd Vasos late in 2023.

For the holiday quarter, its comparable sales rose 1.2%, ahead of estimates of a 0.96% rise, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Sales in the consumables category, which makes up about 80% of Dollar General's revenue, grew 5.3% in the quarter ended January 1, helping the company report a profit of $1.68 per share, topping estimates of $1.50.

The company expects annual same-store sales growth between 1.2% and 2.2%, compared with analysts' average estimate of a 1.82% rise.

It also forecast fiscal 2025 profit per share of about $5.10 to $5.80, below analysts' average estimate of $5.85.