Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities

18:00-7 August 2024 AD ـ 02 Safar 1446 AH

Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources opened o Wednesday the bidding for seven new exploration licenses.

According to the ministry, the total area covered by the new licenses is close to 1,000 square kilometers.

The step is part of the ministry's Accelerated Exploration Program initiative, which aims to expedite the exploration and development of the Kingdom's estimated SAR9.3 trillion worth of mineral resources, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 objective of making the mining sector the third pillar of the national industry.

The seven sites for which it will grant exploration licenses contain a variety of precious and base metals; among them are Umm Qasir, in the Riyadh region, with gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits spread over 20 square kilometers, and Jabal Sabha, in Riyadh, with silver, lead, zinc, and cobalt reserves spread over 171 square kilometers.

In Aseer, Wadi Ad Dawsh contains gold, silver, and copper deposits in an area of 157.7 square kilometers. Shaib Marqan in Riyadh spans 92 square kilometers and holds gold, silver, and copper.

Wadi Al Junah in Aseer extends over 425.37 square kilometers and is a source of copper, silver, zinc, and gold. Hazm Shubat, also in Aseer, covers 93.47 square kilometers and contains gold, and Huwaymidan, in Makkah, encompasses 34 square kilometers and contains gold.

The ministry set early September 2024 as the final deadline for submitting proposals for the exploration license bids. A transparent and fair evaluation process will assess factors such as work programs, technical capabilities, social impact plans, and innovative initiatives, with 70% weight on technical aspects and 30% on community contributions.

To support exploration, the ministry has introduced new incentives, in collaboration with the Saudi Investment Ministry, including up to SAR7.5 million in funding for companies having exploration licenses less than five years old, in addition to the existing mining investment incentives like 100% foreign ownership and up to 75% capital expenditure financing.

Interested investors can visit the Ta'adeen platform to access information and technical data for the seven new sites.

US Tariffs Could Slow China's Growth to 4.5% in 2025

People walk past a billboard which reads I love Beijing, Happy New Year at 798 art district, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year, marking the Year of the Snake, in Beijing on January 14, 2025. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP)

Beijing: Asharq Al Awsat

08:01-15 January 2025 AD ـ 16 Rajab 1446 AH

Beijing: Asharq Al Awsat

08:01-15 January 2025 AD ـ 16 Rajab 1446 AH

US Tariffs Could Slow China's Growth to 4.5% in 2025

China's economic growth is likely to slow to 4.5% in 2025 and cool further to 4.2% in 2026, a Reuters poll showed, with policymakers poised to roll out fresh stimulus measures to soften the blow from impending US tariff hikes.

Gross domestic product (GDP) likely grew 4.9% in 2024 - largely meeting the government's annual growth target of around 5%, helped by stimulus measures and strong exports, according to the median forecasts of 64 economists polled by Reuters.

But the world's second-largest economy faces heightened trade tensions with the United States as President-elect Donald Trump, who has proposed hefty tariffs on Chinese goods, is set to return to the White House next week.

“Potential US tariff hikes are the biggest headwind for China's growth this year, and could affect exports, corporate capex and household consumption,” analysts at UBS said in a note.

“We (also) foresee property activity continuing to fall in 2025, though with a smaller drag on growth.”

Growth likely improved to 5.0% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, quickening from the third-quarter's 4.6% pace as a flurry of support measures began to kick in, the poll showed.

On a quarterly basis, the economy is forecast to grow 1.6% in the fourth quarter, compared with 0.9% in July-September, the poll showed.

The government is due to release fourth-quarter and full-year GDP data, along with December activity data, on Friday.

China's economy has struggled for traction since a post-pandemic rebound quickly fizzled out, with a protracted property crisis, weak demand and high local government debt levels weighing heavily on activity, souring both business and consumer confidence.

Policymakers have unveiled a blitz of stimulus measures since September, including cuts in interest rates and banks' reserve requirements ratios (RRR) and a 10 trillion yuan ($1.36 trillion) municipal debt package.

They have also expanded a trade-in scheme for consumer goods such as appliances and autos, helping to revive retail sales.

Analysts expect more stimulus to be rolled out this year, but say the scope and size of China's moves may depend on how quickly and aggressively Trump implements tariffs or other punitive measures.

More stimulus on the cards

At an agenda-setting meeting in December, Chinese leaders pledged to increase the budget deficit, issue more debt and loosen monetary policy to support economic growth in 2025.

Leaders have agreed to maintain an annual growth target of around 5% for this year, backed by a record high budget deficit ratio of 4% and 3 trillion yuan in special treasury bonds, Reuters has reported, citing sources.

The government is expected to unveil growth targets and stimulus plans during the annual parliament meeting in March.

Faced with mounting economic risks and deflationary pressures, top leaders in December ditched their 14-year-old “prudent” monetary policy stance for a “moderately loose” posture.

China's central bank is expected to deploy its most aggressive monetary tactics in a decade this year as it tries to revive the economy, but in doing so it risks quickly exhausting its firepower. It has already had to repeatedly shore up its defense of the yuan currency as downward pressure pushes it to 16-month lows.

Analysts polled by Reuters expected the central bank to cut the seven-day reverse repo rate, its key policy rate, by 10 basis points in the first quarter, leading to a same cut in the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) - the benchmark lending rate.

The PBOC may also cut the weighted average reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for banks by at least 25 basis points in the first quarter, the poll showed, after two cuts in 2024.

Consumer inflation will likely pick up to 0.8% in 2025 from 0.2% in 2024, and rise further to 1.4% in 2026, the poll showed.

Saudi Industry Ministry Tables Seven New Mining Opportunities