Saudi Commerce Minister Leads Delegation to Boost Trade with South Korea

Saudi Commerce Minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi arrived in Seoul on Monday, leading a Saudi delegation on a three-day visit to bolster trade ties with South Korea. (SPA)
Saudi Commerce Minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi arrived in Seoul on Monday, leading a Saudi delegation on a three-day visit to bolster trade ties with South Korea. (SPA)
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Saudi Commerce Minister Leads Delegation to Boost Trade with South Korea

Saudi Commerce Minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi arrived in Seoul on Monday, leading a Saudi delegation on a three-day visit to bolster trade ties with South Korea. (SPA)
Saudi Commerce Minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi arrived in Seoul on Monday, leading a Saudi delegation on a three-day visit to bolster trade ties with South Korea. (SPA)

Saudi Commerce Minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi arrived in Seoul on Monday, leading a Saudi delegation on a three-day visit to bolster trade ties with South Korea.

The delegation, comprising officials from 10 government agencies and 55 business leaders from major national companies, aims to reinforce economic partnerships and participate in the Saudi-Korean Business Forum.

During a meeting with Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Al-Qasabi highlighted the importance of strengthening commercial ties between the two countries in line with the directives of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The discussions centered on the progress in free trade agreement talks between South Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the impact of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reform agenda on potential business opportunities for collaboration.

Saudi Ambassador to South Korea Sami bin Mohammed Al-Sadhan was present at the meeting.

Al-Qasabi also discussed with the Korean Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, Oh Young-ju, to explore opportunities for knowledge sharing and talent exchange, drawing on Seoul’s experience in developing small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

He met with Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon to discuss the company's plans to enter the Saudi market and collaborate on expanding e-commerce in the Kingdom.



Gold Drifts Higher on Fed Rate-cut Hopes, Geopolitical Risks

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
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Gold Drifts Higher on Fed Rate-cut Hopes, Geopolitical Risks

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)

Prices of safe-haven gold climbed on Monday on heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and amid expectations of a US rate cut in September, while focus shifted to the Federal Reserve's policy meeting due later this week.

Spot gold was up 0.3% at $2,391.80 per ounce, as of 0205 GMT. US gold futures firmed 0.4% to $2,390.50.

"Prices will hold a range ahead of the Fed meet and Chair Jerome Powell's comments. If we get a clearly dovish stance and softer jobs data, prices could head towards $2,450," said Kelvin Wong, OANDA's senior market analyst for Asia Pacific, according to Reuters.

The US central bank's Federal Open Market Committee meets on July 30-31 and is expected to keep rates unchanged at 5.25%-5.50%. However, softer US jobs data in June, cooling inflation and comments from top Fed officials have prompted the rate futures market to fully price in a 25 basis-point cut in September.

The ADP national employment report and non-farm payrolls report are the main data points due this week.

Gold, historically reputed for its stability as a favored hedge against geopolitical and economic risks, thrives in a low-interest rate environment.

Israel's security cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to decide on the "manner and timing" of a response to a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 teenagers and children, and which Israel and the United States blamed on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Bullion should see further safe-haven demand if things get more heated up in the Middle East, OANDA's Wong added.

Elsewhere, top consumer China's output of gold using domestic raw materials rose by 0.58% from the year before to 179.634 metric tons in the first half of 2024, the country's Gold Association said.

Spot silver gained 0.1% at $27.93 per ounce, platinum rose 0.8% to $942.75 and palladium was up 0.7% at $906.48.