Khalid bin Salman Named Chairman of SAMI Board of Directors

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.
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Khalid bin Salman Named Chairman of SAMI Board of Directors

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a key enterprise under the Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced on Wednesday a restructuring of its Board of Directors.

Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman was named as Chairman of the board.

The board includes Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef, Chairman of the General Authority for Civil Aviation Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, Assistant Minister of Defense Eng. Talal Al-Otaibi, Dr. Khalid Al-Biyari, Yasir Al-Salman, Eng. Omar Al-Madhi, and Eng. Abdulaziz Al-Suqair.

SAMI CEO Walid bin Abdulmajeed Abu Khalid hailed the efforts of the previous board which managed to lead it to become one of the world’s top 100 specialized defense companies.

SAMI was established in 2018 by the PIF to contribute to achieving the Kingdom's Vision 2030 by localizing 50% of the Kingdom's defense spending.

SAMI has been playing an essential role in developing the capabilities of its defense system and enhancing its self-sufficiency through its growing portfolio of products and services across its business sectors.



Gold Extends Gains as Trump Tariffs Fuel Safe Haven Flows

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
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Gold Extends Gains as Trump Tariffs Fuel Safe Haven Flows

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Gold prices rose for a second straight session on Tuesday, but traded below the recent all-time highs, as uncertainty around US President Donald Trump's tariff plans continued to fuel economic growth concerns and safe haven flows into bullion.

Spot gold gained 0.6% at $2,913.79 an ounce as of 0714 GMT. It hit a record high of $2,942.70 last week.

US gold futures added 0.9% to $2,925.50.

"Trump's disruptive modus operandi, aggressive rhetoric and tariffs - whether actual or threatened - could unravel global trade and intricate supply chains," said Nikos Tzabouras, senior financial writer at trading platform Tradu, Reuters reported.

"With uncertainty surrounding the global economy and the broader geopolitical landscape in the Trump 2.0 era, gold is set to remain a natural beneficiary of risk-off flows and central bank buying."

Since taking office last month, Trump has swiftly redrawn the global trade battlefield with a series of tariffs, while plans are already in motion for sweeping reciprocal tariffs, aimed squarely at any nation that taxes US products.

"Gold continues to benefit from the uncertainty surrounding the US. government's tariff policy. Central bank buying should also continue to provide support, even if there is no new data on this," Commerzbank analysts said in a note.

The market's focus has now shifted to the US Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes due on Wednesday for clues into the central bank's interest rate trajectory.

"Price gains are also supported by growing expectations that the Fed will cut rates in 2025 - a sentiment that gained further traction among traders after last week's disappointing US retail sales figures," Ricardo Evangelista, senior analyst at brokerage firm ActivTrades, said.

Bullion benefits from geopolitical and economic uncertainties, as well as rising price pressures, but higher interest rates diminish the asset's allure.

Spot silver fell 0.9% to $32.50 an ounce. Platinum jumped 0.9% to $985.20 and palladium climbed 1.6% to $978.00.