UK Second Largest Foreign Investor in Saudi Arabia

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
TT

UK Second Largest Foreign Investor in Saudi Arabia

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

Saudi Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih highlighted the deep-rooted Saudi-British relations, saying the UK is the second largest foreign investor in the Kingdom with approximately $16 billion in investment shares.

This came during a panel session held on Tuesday as part of the Great Futures Initiative Conference at the King Abdullah Financial District. The event was held with United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Business and Trade Lord Dominic Johnson.
“The investment sector relies heavily on banks and economic ventures in the financial field," Al-Falih said, indicating that the Kingdom has the fastest growing economy over the past six years.
For his part, the British minister hailed the Kingdom's achievements in expanding joint economic ventures, noting that economic cooperation between the two countries will continue for many decades to come.
He also explained that economic cooperation between the two kingdoms demonstrates the depth of relations and cooperation, as the UK is keen to participate in Saudi Arabia's development.
The UK minister also commended the remarkable development in the Kingdom and the ease of access to investment in the Saudi market, citing the exceptional opportunities for British investors in Saudi Arabia.



Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says

FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo
TT

Iranian Oil Tankers Using Forged Iraqi Documents, Iraqi Oil Minister Says

FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo

Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani has said Iranian oil tankers seized by US forces in the Gulf were using forged Iraqi documents.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has restored "maximum pressure" on Iran, reviving a policy that seeks to isolate the country from the global economy and eliminate its oil export revenue in order to slow Tehran's development of a nuclear weapon.

Abdel-Ghani was asked if he had received messages from the United States over the possibility that state oil marketer SOMO could be subject to sanctions itself over the violation of Iranian sanctions.

"We received some verbal inquiries about oil tankers being detained in the Gulf by US naval forces carrying Iraqi shipping manifests," the oil minister said on state television late on Sunday, adding there had been no formal written communication.

"It turned out that these tankers were Iranian ... and were using forged Iraqi documents. We explained this to the relevant authorities with complete transparency and they also confirmed this."

The Iranian oil ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters reported in December that a sophisticated fuel oil smuggling network that some experts believe generates at least $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies has flourished in Iraq in the past few years, including by using forged documentation.

SOMO sells crude exclusively to companies that own refineries and does not supply trading firms, Abdel-Ghani said, adding that several traders were behind the scheme.

"SOMO operates with full transparency and has committed no wrongdoing in the oil export process," he said.