Oil up 2% on Libya Shutdowns, Mideast Escalation Fears

Storage tanks are seen at the Petroineos Ineos petrol refinery in Lavera, France, March 29, 2022. Picture taken March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Storage tanks are seen at the Petroineos Ineos petrol refinery in Lavera, France, March 29, 2022. Picture taken March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Oil up 2% on Libya Shutdowns, Mideast Escalation Fears

Storage tanks are seen at the Petroineos Ineos petrol refinery in Lavera, France, March 29, 2022. Picture taken March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Storage tanks are seen at the Petroineos Ineos petrol refinery in Lavera, France, March 29, 2022. Picture taken March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Oil prices rose 2% on Monday on news of fresh production outages in Libya, adding to earlier gains on concerns that an escalating Gaza conflict could disrupt regional oil supplies.

Brent crude futures climbed $1.64, or 2.08%, to $80.66 a barrel by 1041 GMT, while US crude futures were at $76.38 a barrel, up $1.55, or 2.07%.

Prices jumped after Libya's eastern-based Benghazi government announced the closure of all oil fields on Monday, halting production and exports.

"The biggest risk for oil market is probably a further drop in Libyan oil production due to political tensions in the country," said analyst Giovanni Staunovo of Swiss bank UBS, Reuters reported.

Oil prices opened the week higher after Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel on Sunday and Israel's military said it struck Lebanon with around 100 jets to thwart a larger attack, in one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border warfare.

The clash raised fears of wider conflict in the region.

"Geopolitical risk factors will likely influence the oil market significantly," said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst at OANDA in Singapore.

Monday's gains follow from both oil benchmarks gaining over 2% on Friday after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell endorsed the start of interest rate cuts.

"The prospect of easing monetary policy boosted sentiment across the commodity complex," ANZ analysts said in a note.

Investors remain cautious over the actions of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, or OPEC+, which has plans to raise output later this year, said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.



Riyadh Season: Economic Driver Attracting Local, Foreign Investment

People attend the opening ceremony of Riyadh Season 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
People attend the opening ceremony of Riyadh Season 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh Season: Economic Driver Attracting Local, Foreign Investment

People attend the opening ceremony of Riyadh Season 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
People attend the opening ceremony of Riyadh Season 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Riyadh Season events are emerging as a key economic driver, drawing both local and international capital. Private sector companies see it as a rewarding opportunity due to the substantial increase in attendance, which reached over 20 million last year, double the 10 million who attended the inaugural 2019 season.

Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, said a press conference will be held on Aug. 28 to unveil significant surprises during the upcoming edition.

Experts believe this year’s Riyadh Season will attract even more visitors, pointing to the efforts of the General Entertainment Authority that align with the government’s goal of reaching 150 million annual visitors by 2030.

Businessman and entertainment investor Majid Al-Hokair told Asharq Al-Awsat that the upcoming edition will feature some of the world’s largest entertainment events. He expected a wide range of exciting developments and major surprises, highlighting the substantial support and growth potential of the sector in the Kingdom.

The entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia is becoming increasingly attractive to both foreign and local companies seeking profitability in a high-traffic sector, he noted.

He underscored the General Entertainment Authority’s efforts to facilitate company investments in all events related to Riyadh Season and other activities across the Kingdom.

The country has introduced and amended regulations to encourage and simplify private sector involvement in economic activities, he remarked, adding that the entertainment sector is crucial for national income, job creation, and attracting both international and local investments.

Legal Advisor and Professor Dr. Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidi told Asharq Al-Awsat that tourism plays a vital role in driving the national economy by creating numerous jobs and generating foreign currency. Tourism contributes about 5% to global GDP and is a major source of foreign currency for many countries.

He further noted that Riyadh Season helps position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for major entertainment events.

The Riyadh Season is a vital opportunity to introduce Saudi Arabia to the world, particularly the capital city, improving quality of life through entertainment and boosting the country’s status as a global tourist destination in line with Vision 2030, he concluded.

The General Entertainment Authority recently launched a business services platform through the Saudi Business Center to streamline and facilitate the processes for starting and operating businesses. This initiative aims to simplify access for companies to all investment-related requirements in this sector.

Additionally, the authority introduced a business accelerator to support startups in the entertainment sector and its various fields, aiming to expedite their growth, build capabilities, and facilitate connections with investors.