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Saudi Industry Minister Discusses Opportunities to Develop Aviation, Space Industry in the Kingdom

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef visits the JetZero and SpaceX companies during his visit to the US. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef visits the JetZero and SpaceX companies during his visit to the US. (SPA)
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Saudi Industry Minister Discusses Opportunities to Develop Aviation, Space Industry in the Kingdom

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef visits the JetZero and SpaceX companies during his visit to the US. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef visits the JetZero and SpaceX companies during his visit to the US. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef visited JetZero, a company specializing in aviation, and SpaceX, the aerospace giant, in California, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

He discussed boosting opportunities for cooperation in the aviation and space industries in the Kingdom.

Alkhorayef met with JetZero founder and CTO Mark Page to discuss potential partnerships in the aviation sector, the development of local supply chains for aviation components, and the utilization of Saudi Arabia's mineral resources.

These efforts aim to boost local manufacturing capabilities, particularly in the aviation sector, which is one of the key industries targeted by Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy.

JetZero, founded in 2018 in Long Beach, California, is a startup in the aviation industry. Its primary mission is to develop aircraft with an innovative "Blended Wing Body" design that aims to achieve high fuel efficiency and significantly reduce emissions.

The company focuses on becoming a leader in sustainable aviation by designing aircraft that consume up to 50% less fuel compared to conventional planes, thereby reducing aviation's carbon footprint.

Alkhorayef also met with SpaceX CFO Brett Johnson to discuss opportunities for developing the space industry and supporting efforts to bolster supply chain development. Discussions also emphasized the services and incentives offered by the Kingdom's industry and mineral resources ecosystem for such partnerships and strategic programs.

Founded by Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX is a leading US company in the aviation and space sectors. The company's ambitious vision is to enable human exploration of Mars by developing groundbreaking rocket and spacecraft technologies.

The National Industrial Strategy outlines a promising future for the Kingdom's aviation and space sectors, aiming to launch the first Saudi satellite and focusing on the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and drones. This strategy will strengthen the competitiveness of the national industry and position Saudi Arabia among the world's leading countries in these fields.

Alkhorayef’s visit is part of ongoing efforts to foster industrial and mining cooperation, strengthen ties between Saudi Arabia and the US and attract high-quality investments to the Kingdom.

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Will the IMF’s Bailout Stabilize Pakistan’s Economy?

Men reach out to buy subsidized flour sacks from a truck in Karachi, Pakistan. (Reuters file)
Men reach out to buy subsidized flour sacks from a truck in Karachi, Pakistan. (Reuters file)
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Will the IMF’s Bailout Stabilize Pakistan’s Economy?

Men reach out to buy subsidized flour sacks from a truck in Karachi, Pakistan. (Reuters file)
Men reach out to buy subsidized flour sacks from a truck in Karachi, Pakistan. (Reuters file)

Pakistan this week secured a new $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) aimed at helping the South Asian nation stabilize its ailing economy.

But the country now faces challenging budget targets it has pledged to the IMF under the loan deal.

Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the IMF said the new bailout package approved for Pakistan is aimed at assisting the government in economic recovery and reduction in inflation along with employment creation and inclusive growth.

“Very productive meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif!” she wrote on her X account.

“We discussed Pakistan's new Fund-supported program helping ongoing recovery, disinflation, increased tax fairness, and reforms to create new jobs and inclusive growth,” the top IMF official said, referring to her meeting with the PM.

Georgieva’s remarks came after the IMF’s Executive Board has approved a $7 billion loan for Pakistan under the Expanded Fund Facility (EFF).

The loan — which Islamabad will receive in installments over 37 months — came after the Pakistani government’s commitment to implementing the agreed-upon reforms.

Last Thursday, the global lender said its immediate disbursement to Pakistan will be about $1 billion.

The office of the Pakistani PM said later the immediate release will be about $1.1 billion.

Assurances

The significant financing assurances provided by Saudi Arabia, UAE and China have facilitated the IMF's approval of the new loan.

IMF Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter declined to provide details of additional financing amounts committed by the three countries but said they would come on top of the debt rollover.

Sharif, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, told Pakistani media that the country had fulfilled all of the lender’s conditions, with help from China and Saudi Arabia.

“Without their support, this would not have been possible,” he said, without elaborating on what assistance Beijing and Riyadh had provided to get the deal over the line.

Challenging targets

The South Asian country has set challenging revenue targets in its annual budget to help it win approval from the IMF for a loan to stave off another economic meltdown, even as domestic anger rises at new taxation measures.

Pakistan has set a tax revenue target of 13 trillion rupees ($47 billion) for the fiscal year that began on July 1, a near-40% jump from the prior year, and a sharp drop in its fiscal deficit to 5.9% of gross domestic product from 7.4% the previous year.

Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Power Ali Pervaiz Malik said earlier that the point of pushing out a tough and unpopular budget was to use it a stepping stone for an IMF program, adding the lender was satisfied with the revenue measures taken, based on their talks.

“Obviously they (budget reforms) are burdensome for the local economy but the IMF program is all about stabilization,” Malik said.

Pakistan’s trade deficit decreased by 12.3% in FY2024, dropping to $24.09 billion from $27.47 billion in FY23, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The Pakistani Geo News website stated that during July 2023-June 2024, total exports, however, saw an increase of 10.54%, reaching $30.645 billion, while imports shrank by 0.84%, amounting to $54.73 billion.

In June 2024, exports of Pakistani products abroad increased by 7.3% to $2.529 billion compared to $2.356 billion in the same period last year, marking the tenth consecutive monthly rise in exports, it added.

In a statement last Thursday, the IMF praised Pakistan for taking key steps to restore economic stability. Growth has rebounded, inflation has fallen to single digits, and a calm foreign exchange market have allowed the rebuilding of reserve buffers.

But it also criticized authorities. The IMF warned that, despite the progress, Pakistan’s vulnerabilities and structural challenges remained formidable.