Partnerships Worth $80 Million Aim to Strengthen Supply Chains in Saudi Arabia

The MoUs will focus on building capabilities and fostering growth across various sectors. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The MoUs will focus on building capabilities and fostering growth across various sectors. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Partnerships Worth $80 Million Aim to Strengthen Supply Chains in Saudi Arabia

The MoUs will focus on building capabilities and fostering growth across various sectors. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The MoUs will focus on building capabilities and fostering growth across various sectors. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

ASMO Logistics, a joint venture of DHL and Saudi Aramco, has signed 16 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with various companies to strengthen cooperation in energy, chemicals, refining, manufacturing, healthcare, aviation, and supply chains across the Middle East and North Africa.

The partnerships, worth over 300 million riyals (about $80 million), aim to digitize and develop the supply chain and procurement sectors in Saudi Arabia, collaborating with firms like Aramco Digital, Oracle, and SAP.

Salem Al-Huraish, Chairman of ASMO, highlighted that these partnerships will boost economic growth by creating a more flexible and efficient supply chain.

He noted that ASMO helps clients focus on their core business while benefiting from superior services, reducing carbon emissions, and improving operational efficiency.

ASMO plans to use innovative solutions to enhance supply chain services, financial operations, and human resource management through these partnerships.

The company will also establish procurement monitoring towers and create an online marketplace to aid businesses in making better decisions and improving productivity.

The MoUs will focus on building capabilities and fostering growth across various sectors. In chemicals and refining, ASMO has partnered with companies like Luberef and Petro Rabigh.

In energy, partners include Baker Hughes and Halliburton. For manufacturing, ASMO collaborates with ArcelorMittal and others.

Additionally, the company has signed MoUs with Aloula Aviation and the Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Center in the aviation and healthcare sectors.



Gold Eases from Record Peak on Profit-taking; Trump's Tariffs in Focus

Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
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Gold Eases from Record Peak on Profit-taking; Trump's Tariffs in Focus

Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Gold dipped on Thursday as traders locked in profits after prices hit a record high, following a rush to safe-haven assets triggered by US President Donald Trump's aggressive import tariffs, which escalated the already intense global trade war.

Spot gold was down 0.4% at $3,122.1, as of 0710 GMT. Earlier in the session, bullion hit an all-time high of $3,167.57.

US gold futures fell 0.7% to $3,145.00.

Trump unveiled on Wednesday a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US, and higher duties on dozens of countries, including some of its biggest trading partners, deepening a trade war that has rattled global markets, Reuters said.

The reciprocal tariffs do not apply to certain goods, including gold, energy and "certain minerals that are not available in the US," according to a White House fact sheet.

One of the factors supporting gold was "the slowdown that tariffs are likely to cause the US economy, raising the prospects of future rate cuts," Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.

The Trump administration confirmed that the 25% global car and truck tariffs will take effect on April 3, as planned, and duties on automotive parts imports will be launched on May 3.

Gold is in "a pure momentum trade, where bulls who were left for dust are agonizing on the side line, eager for even the smallest of dips, and until we see a volatile shakeout big enough to stun bulls and bears, the momentum trade could continue higher," said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at City Index.

Gold, a hedge against political and financial instabilities, has surged more than 19% year-to-date, mainly driven by tariff jitters, rate- cut possibilities, geopolitical conflicts, and central bank buying.

"There's also some front running going on amongst traders who anticipate (Trump's) policies will drive central banks to park their reserves in gold rather than US dollar-denominated assets," Rodda said.

Market awaits US non-farm payrolls report due on Friday for clues into the Federal Reserve's policy path.

Spot silver slipped 2.8% to $33.07 an ounce, platinum fell 1.5% to $968.37, and palladium lost 1.4% to $956.50.