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)
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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.



Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

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

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed firm winter fuel demand expectations against large US fuel inventories and macroeconomic concerns.

Brent crude futures were down 3 cents at $76.13 a barrel by 1003 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dipped 10 cents to $73.22.

Both benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wednesday as a stronger dollar and a bigger than expected rise in US fuel stockpiles pressured prices.

"The oil market is still grappling with opposite forces - seasonal demand to support the bulls and macro data that supports a stronger US dollar in the medium term ... that can put a ceiling to prevent the bulls from advancing further," said OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong.

JPMorgan analysts expect oil demand for January to expand by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year to 101.4 million bpd, primarily driven by increased use of heating fuels in the Northern Hemisphere.

"Global oil demand is expected to remain strong throughout January, fuelled by colder than normal winter conditions that are boosting heating fuel consumption, as well as an earlier onset of travel activities in China for the Lunar New Year holidays," the analysts said.

The market structure in Brent futures is also indicating that traders are becoming more concerned about supply tightening at the same time demand is increasing.

The premium of the front-month Brent contract over the six-month contract reached its widest since August on Wednesday. A widening of this backwardation, when futures for prompt delivery are higher than for later delivery, typically indicates that supply is declining or demand is increasing.

Nevertheless, official Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed rising gasoline and distillates stockpiles in the United States last week.

The dollar strengthened further on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's entrance into the White House on Jan. 20.

Looking ahead, WTI crude oil is expected to oscillate within a range of $67.55 to $77.95 into February as the market awaits more clarity on Trump's administration policies and fresh fiscal stimulus measures out of China, OANDA's Wong said.