Saudi Minister of Commerce Holds Meetings to Strengthen Economic Partnership with Malaysia

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi held talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with Malaysian ministers with the aim of strengthening the economic partnership. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi held talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with Malaysian ministers with the aim of strengthening the economic partnership. (SPA)
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Saudi Minister of Commerce Holds Meetings to Strengthen Economic Partnership with Malaysia

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi held talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with Malaysian ministers with the aim of strengthening the economic partnership. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi held talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with Malaysian ministers with the aim of strengthening the economic partnership. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi held talks in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with Malaysian ministers with the aim of strengthening the economic partnership.

The officials included Minister of Entrepreneurship Development, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ion Benedick, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu, and Minister of Works Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Saudi Deputy Minister of Commerce and CEO of the National Competitiveness Center Dr. Iman bint Habas Al-Mutairi and Saudi Ambassador to Malaysia Musaed bin Ibrahim Al-Saleem were also present at the meeting.

Discussions focused on Malaysia's experience in supporting small and medium enterprises, as well as cooperation in training, knowledge transfer, innovation, and sustainability.

The meeting was part of a working visit by a Saudi delegation that included 30 officials from the public and private sectors. The visit aimed to boost bilateral trade in products and services and increase the economic partnership between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. The delegation also participated in the launch event of the Saudi-Malaysian Business Council.

On the first day of the visit, Dr. Al-Qasabi discussed the facilities provided to businesses in both countries with Malaysian officials. He highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to become a global center for trade and logistics services.

Discussions also covered cooperation in building capabilities in innovation, emerging technologies, research programs, and e-commerce.

Additionally, meetings with the Malaysian business sector focused on reforms and legislation related to the business environment, facilities, and advantages that encourage economic activities in the Kingdom and promising opportunities for bilateral partnerships between the two countries' business sectors.

The delegation included senior officials from Saudi government agencies, including the ministries of trade, investment, education, industry and mineral resources, environment, water and agriculture, rural municipal affairs and housing, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, and the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises "Monsha'at".

It also included officials from the Saudi Data and Intelligence Authority, Saudi Export Development Authority, National Competitiveness Center, Saudi Center for Economic Business, and Federation of Saudi Chambers, which was represented by several businessmen of national companies from the business sector.



Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
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Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Ukraine received its first 3 billion euro ($3.09 billion) tranche of the European Union's portion of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan agreed for Ukraine by the G7 group of countries, its prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday.

It was the first tranche of EU loan secured by profits from frozen Russian assets, Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram app.

G7 leaders in October agreed to provide some $50 billion in loans to Ukraine via multiple channels.
"Today, we deliver €3 billion to Ukraine, the 1st payment of the EU part of the G7 loan. Giving Ukraine the financial power to continue fighting for its freedom – and prevail," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X.

In other economic news, Ukraine's steel output rose by 21.6% in 2024 to 7.58 million metric tons, its producers union said late on Thursday, though fighting that is closing in on the country's only coking coal mine threatens to slash volumes this year.

Steel production has already suffered since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, which has led to the destruction of leading steel plants.

Ukraine, formerly a major steel producer and exporter, reported a 70.7% drop in output in 2022 to 6.3 million tons. It fell to 6 million tons in 2023.

The steelmakers' union said in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine, Ukraine's only coking coal mine, could cause steel production to slump to 2-3 million metric tons in 2025.
Advancing Russian forces are less than 2 km (1.24 miles) from the mine, Ukrainian military analyst DeepState said on Friday.
The mine's owner, steelmaker Metinvest BV, said last month it had already halted some operations at the mine and two industry sources said it was operating at 50% capacity.
Producers have said they hope to find coking coal from elsewhere in Ukraine should the mine be seized by Russian troops, but imports would inevitably be needed which would raise costs.