Crown Prince to Patronize 3rd Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit on November 10-12

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman,  (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, (SPA)
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Crown Prince to Patronize 3rd Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit on November 10-12

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman,  (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, (SPA)

The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, is organizing the third edition of the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit (RGMBS) 2024, taking place in Riyadh from November 10 to 12.

The event is held under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The RGMBS aims to strengthen the national economy and promote sustainable development, aligning with the National Biotechnology Strategy launched by the Crown Prince this year.

According to SPA, this strategy envisions Saudi Arabia as a leading regional hub in biotechnology by 2030 and a global leader by 2040.
The summit will feature global experts and leading biotech companies from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, China, Republic of Korea, and Japan, as well as prominent academic institutions and organizations.
The previous summit resulted in 11 collaborative agreements with international entities in medical technology research and vaccine production. It hosted 68 speakers and attracted over 14,300 participants from 128 countries.

 



Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices rose over 1% to hit a two-week peak on Friday, heading for the best weekly performance in more than a year, buoyed by safe-haven demand as Russia-Ukraine tensions intensified.

Spot gold jumped 1.3% to $2,703.05 per ounce as of 1245 GMT, hitting its highest since Nov. 8. US gold futures gained 1.1% to $2,705.30.

Bullion rose despite the US dollar hitting a 13-month high, while bitcoin hit a record peak and neared the $100,000 level.

"With both gold and USD (US dollar) rising, it seems that safe-haven demand is lifting both assets," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Ukraine's military said its drones struck four oil refineries, radar stations and other military installations in Russia, Reuters reported.

Gold has gained over 5% so far this week, its best weekly performance since October 2023. Prices have gained around $173 after slipping to a two-month low last week.

"We understand that the price setback has been used by 'Western world' investors under-allocated to gold to build exposure considering the geopolitical risks that are still around. So we continue to expect gold to rise further over the coming months," Staunovo said.

Bullion tends to shine during geopolitical tensions, economic risks, and a low interest rate environment. Markets are pricing in a 59.4% chance of a 25-basis-points cut at the Fed's December meeting, per the CME Fedwatch tool.

However, "if Fed skips or pauses its rate cut in December, that will be negative for gold prices and we could see some pullback," said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist at ANZ.

The Chicago Federal Reserve president reiterated his support for further US interest rate cuts on Thursday.

On Friday, spot silver rose 1.8% to $31.34 per ounce, platinum eased 0.1% to $960.13 and palladium fell 0.6% to $1,023.55. All three metals were on track for a weekly rise.