Saudi Trade Delegation Heads to Pakistan to Ink Economic Agreements

Billboards with images of Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud (R), Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (L) are displayed at a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, 04 May 2024. (EPA)
Billboards with images of Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud (R), Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (L) are displayed at a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, 04 May 2024. (EPA)
TT

Saudi Trade Delegation Heads to Pakistan to Ink Economic Agreements

Billboards with images of Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud (R), Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (L) are displayed at a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, 04 May 2024. (EPA)
Billboards with images of Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud (R), Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (L) are displayed at a road in Islamabad, Pakistan, 04 May 2024. (EPA)

A high-ranking Saudi trade delegation arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to sign a number of bilateral economic and investment agreements.

The 50-member delegation is headed by the deputy minister of investment and includes representatives of 30 companies from various sectors.

The delegation is visiting at the directives of the Saudi government that is committed to speeding up a package of projects worth 50 billion dollars.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah visited Islamabad in mid-April at the head of a delegation during which he chaired a meeting of the Saudi-Pakistani joint investment council.

The meeting tackled the most significant opportunities for economic cooperation in various fields.

They also discussed increasing the trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to meet mutual aspirations.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in Riyadh last week where he attended the special meeting of the World Economic Forum that was held in the Saudi capital.

Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said on Saturday that Sharif was keen on the private sector driving forward development in the country.

The Saudi investors will sit down for talks with Pakistani companies to discuss investment potential.

He added that bilateral cooperation will benefit small establishments, especially technology companies that have been set up by youths, whom he predicted will reap the lion’s share of investments from Saudi businessmen.



Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
TT

Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold prices rose to a near four-week high on Thursday, supported by safe-haven demand, while investors weighed how US President-elect Donald Trump's policies would impact the economy and inflation.

Spot gold inched up 0.4% to $2,672.18 per ounce, as of 0918 a.m. ET (1418 GMT). US gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,691.80.

"Safe-haven demand is modestly supporting gold, offsetting downside pressure coming from a stronger dollar and higher rates," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

The dollar index hovered near a one-week high, making gold less appealing for holders of other currencies, while the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield stayed near eight-month peaks, Reuters reported.

"Market uncertainty is likely to persist with the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as the next US president," Staunovo said.

Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump will take office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs could potentially ignite trade wars and inflation. In such a scenario, gold, considered a hedge against inflation, is likely to perform well.

Investors' focus now shifts to Friday's US nonfarm payrolls due at 08:30 a.m. ET for further clarity on the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.

Non-farm payrolls likely rose by 160,000 jobs in December after surging by 227,000 in November, a Reuters survey showed.

Gold hit a near four-week high on Wednesday after a weaker-than-expected US private employment report hinted that the Fed may be less cautious about easing rates this year.

However, minutes of the Fed's December policy meeting showed officials' concern that Trump's proposed tariffs and immigration policies may prolong the fight against rising prices.

High rates reduce the non-yielding asset's appeal.

The World Gold Council on Wednesday said physically-backed gold exchange-traded funds registered their first inflow in four years.

Spot silver rose 0.7% to $30.32 per ounce, platinum fell 0.8% to $948.55 and palladium shed 1.4% to $915.75.