Al-Khorayef Invites Chinese Companies to Invest in Saudi Industries

The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources invited Chinese companies to invest in promising industrial sectors in Saudi Arabia. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources invited Chinese companies to invest in promising industrial sectors in Saudi Arabia. SPA
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Al-Khorayef Invites Chinese Companies to Invest in Saudi Industries

The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources invited Chinese companies to invest in promising industrial sectors in Saudi Arabia. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources invited Chinese companies to invest in promising industrial sectors in Saudi Arabia. SPA

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef invited Chinese companies to invest in promising industrial sectors highlighted by the National Industrial Strategy.

Such sectors include the automotive, food, pharmaceutical, and aviation industries. He extended this invitation during a roundtable meeting organized by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce in Guangzhou as part of his visit to China.

Al-Khorayef provided an overview of the capabilities, incentives, and services that the Kingdom offers to industrial investors. These include developed industrial lands, industrial financing, workforce training, and incentives for specific target industries. Additionally, the country gives preference to local products in government purchases.
"We are looking for companies that can help us boost investment in key industrial sectors that are essential for the Kingdom. These include automotive, aviation, food, pharmaceutical, machinery, equipment, and renewable energy industries. We also aim to develop supply chains for buses, trucks, and light-duty vehicles, as the demand for these is expected to rise in the upcoming years,” the minister said.

He praised the strong relationship between the Kingdom and China and affirmed Saudi Arabia’s desire to enhance its economic partnership with China, particularly in the industrial and mining sectors, as part of its efforts to diversify the economy.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Industry and Mineral Resources Assistant Minister for Planning and Development Dr. Abdullah Al-Ahmari, National Industrial Development Center (NIDC) Chief Executive Eng. Saleh Al-Sulami, and Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) Chief Executive Eng. Majid Al-Argoubi.



Bitcoin Drops to 11-day Low amid Tech Selloff

FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
TT

Bitcoin Drops to 11-day Low amid Tech Selloff

FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Bitcoin fell below $100,000 on Monday, hitting its lowest in 11 days, in a move analysts attributed to a wave of caution after the surging popularity of a Chinese artificial intelligence model sparked a selloff in Western AI-related stocks.

The world's biggest cryptocurrency struggled to make gains last week, as a rally that had seen it break above $100,000 after US President Donald Trump's election ran out of steam, Reuters reported.

At 1156 GMT, bitcoin was at $98,852.17, down around 6% on the day, having fallen sharply in early trading to hit its lowest since Jan. 16.

Technology stocks plunged, as traders worried that Chinese AI startup DeepSeek could threaten Western companies' dominance of the sector, in a move some called AI's "Sputnik moment", referring to the former Soviet Union's launch of a satellite that marked the start of the space race in the late 1950s.

Bitcoin's losses are "seemingly driven by some risk-off sentiment circulating the markets currently due to DeepSeek," wrote eToro analyst Simon Peters.

Geoffrey Kendrick, global head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, said a decline in Nasdaq futures had hurt crypto markets, but that disappointment over the Trump administration's announcement about a cryptocurrency stockpile had put digital assets more at risk of a sharp selloff.

Crypto failed to feature in Trump's day-one announcements after taking office last week, leaving some investors disappointed. In an executive order on Thursday, Trump created a working group to draft new crypto rules and explore a crypto stockpile, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) spiked accounting guidance that the industry said had stymied crypto adoption.

The prospect of interest rates staying higher for longer also hurt riskier assets, said Thomas Puech, CEO of digital asset hedge fund Indigo.

US Federal Reserve policymakers meet this week and are expected to keep interest rates on hold.