Saudi Industry Minister Discusses in Singapore Partnerships in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies 

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef held bilateral meetings with heads of Singaporean institutions to discuss boosting cooperation. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef held bilateral meetings with heads of Singaporean institutions to discuss boosting cooperation. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister Discusses in Singapore Partnerships in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies 

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef held bilateral meetings with heads of Singaporean institutions to discuss boosting cooperation. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef held bilateral meetings with heads of Singaporean institutions to discuss boosting cooperation. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef held bilateral meetings with heads of Singaporean institutions to discuss boosting cooperation, benefiting from their expertise in creating sustainable economic growth, developing small and medium-sized enterprises, and partnering on advanced manufacturing technology, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

The meetings were attended by Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources Assistant Minister for Planning and Development Dr. Abdullah Ali Alahmari, National Industrial Development Center (NIDC) Chief Executive Eng. Saleh Al-Sulami, and Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones Chief Executive Majed Rafed Al-Argoubi.

During a meeting with Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Chairman Png Cheong Boon, Alkhorayef discussed opportunities to bolster cooperation, build partnerships, and benefit from the EDB’s expertise.

He met with Enterprise Singapore Executive Chairman Lee Chuan Teck to explore aspects of cooperation, leveraging the institution’s expertise in capacity building, innovation, and transformation.

Alkhorayef also met with Meinhardt Group's head of the fourth industrial revolution division to discuss modern technologies that could boost efficiency and innovation in the sector.

In his meeting with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) chief executive, Alkhorayef explored ways to strengthen cooperation with the agency, which is considered one of the top innovative government organizations globally in the field of science and technology.

The minister’s official visit to Singapore is one leg of an economic tour of East-Asia where he is leading a ministry delegation with the aim of deepening bilateral ties, attracting high-quality investments to Saudi Arabia, and exploring mutual investment opportunities in the industrial sector.



IMF Says Ready to Support Syria Reconstruction when Conditions Allow

A drone view shows al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
A drone view shows al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
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IMF Says Ready to Support Syria Reconstruction when Conditions Allow

A drone view shows al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
A drone view shows al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

The International Monetary Fund stands ready to assist Syria's reconstruction alongside the international community, but the situation on the ground remains fluid, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said on Thursday.
Kozack told a regular press briefing that the IMF has had no meaningful contact with Syrian authorities since an economic consultation in 2009, Reuters reported.
"It's too early to make an economic assessment. We are closely monitoring the situation, and we stand ready to support the international community's efforts to assist serious reconstruction as needed and when conditions allow," Kozack said.
Less than two weeks after Syrian opposition fighters toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime and seized control of the capital Damascus, Kozack said that the emerging Syrian authorities face many difficulties after 13 years of civil war.
"The Syrian people have suffered for far too long. We hope that the country can now begin to address its deep humanitarian, social and economic challenges, and to begin the rehabilitation of the Syrian economy," Kozack said.

Kozack also said that the IMF Executive Board will meet on Friday to consider approval of a $1.1 billion disbursement to Ukraine from the IMF's $15.6 billion loan program to the war torn country.

The disbursement, part of the sixth review of the four-year Ukraine loan, would bring total program disbursements to $9.8 billion, with about $2.7 billion available for 2025, Kozack added.