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 Hobbled by Economic Worries; Euro Remains in Favor

US dollar drifted within a tight range on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields - Reuters
US dollar drifted within a tight range on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields - Reuters
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Dollar Hobbled by Economic Worries; Euro Remains in Favor

US dollar drifted within a tight range on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields - Reuters
US dollar drifted within a tight range on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields - Reuters

The dollar hovered near a five-month low against major peers on Monday, bruised by President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies and soft economic data, at a time when other currencies, including the euro, benefit from domestic drivers.

The euro was last at $1.0905, up 0.2% on the day, and heading back towards the $1.0947 it hit last week, its highest since October 11.

The Japanese yen was also marginally stronger on the day at 148.48 per dollar, again after hitting its strongest in five months last week at 146.5 to the dollar.

That left the dollar index, which measures the US currency against its six major counterparts, at 103.5, just off its five-month trough of 103.21 reached last Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Currency markets have undergone a shift in recent months, as traders re-evaluate their initial expectations that Trump's economic policies would both support the dollar and cause other currencies to weaken.

In fact the reverse has happened, and analysts at Societe Generale said on Monday that they had changed their currency forecasts "to reflect Germany's planned fiscal changes, the US economy's self-inflicted (relative) fragility, and Japan’s escape from deflation".

They see the euro at $1.13 by year-end and the yen at 139 per dollar.