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HP CEO Announces Launch of 1st Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Riyadh, Creating Thousands of Jobs

HP’s President and CEO, Enrique Lores (Asharq Al-Awsat)
HP’s President and CEO, Enrique Lores (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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HP CEO Announces Launch of 1st Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Riyadh, Creating Thousands of Jobs

HP’s President and CEO, Enrique Lores (Asharq Al-Awsat)
HP’s President and CEO, Enrique Lores (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia continues to attract global investments as it builds a future-ready economy in line with its ambitious Vision 2030.

In the latest development, HP Inc. announced plans to establish an advanced manufacturing facility in Riyadh, a Center of Excellence for AI and R&D in Dhahran, and expand initiatives to equip young Saudis with digital skills. These efforts underscore HP’s commitment to making Saudi Arabia a hub for technology and innovation.

In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, HP’s President and CEO, Enrique Lores, highlighted the vast potential in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that these strategic AI investments will accelerate regional growth. He reaffirmed HP’s dedication to manufacturing, education, and research, all aimed at fostering innovation and supporting the company’s global expansion.

A key component of HP’s investment is the launch of a high-tech manufacturing facility in Riyadh. Under the “Made in Saudi Arabia” initiative, the company aims to increase local production to serve domestic and regional markets while enhancing supply chain efficiency by reducing reliance on external manufacturing.

Lores explained that this investment will create thousands of jobs by 2027, nurture local talent, and contribute to economic growth. He noted that this is not only HP’s first manufacturing facility in the Middle East but also one of its few worldwide, reflecting the company’s long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia.

HP will begin by manufacturing desktop computers, followed by laptops and printers, establishing Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in tech production. Lores stressed that the investment goes beyond meeting local demand—it aims to position Saudi Arabia as a hub for technology manufacturing and exports.

According to Lores, HP is also making a major push into AI research and development with the launch of its Center of Excellence for AI and R&D in Dhahran. The center will play a key role in developing AI-powered solutions for sectors such as healthcare, smart cities, and energy. It will also train Saudi talent in AI development and commercialization, collaborating with global AI experts and Saudi companies to create cutting-edge applications.

Unlike traditional AI research centers that focus primarily on large-scale models, HP’s Center of Excellence will prioritize practical AI applications to help businesses seamlessly integrate AI-driven solutions.

Lores explained that the center’s focus will be on AI applications in smart cities, healthcare, and energy, with flexibility to adapt based on industry needs. HP also aims to attract top international AI specialists to Saudi Arabia, fostering a thriving AI ecosystem in the Kingdom.

He emphasized that transforming Saudi Arabia into a global AI hub requires both investing in local talent and drawing top AI experts from around the world.

HP is reinforcing its commitment to education and workforce development by training teachers to integrate AI into classrooms. The company is also collaborating with policymakers to develop AI-driven curricula, equipping students with essential AI skills through interactive learning and gaming.

Lores stressed that building a strong digital economy requires investment in education at all levels, from teacher training to designing AI-integrated curricula for students.

A major part of this effort is the HP Gaming Garage Lab at the Saudi Electronic University, launched in June 2024. The lab offers micro-certifications in AI, gaming, and technology, providing a direct pathway to employment in Saudi Arabia’s growing tech sector.

Through these initiatives, HP is actively shaping Saudi Arabia’s digital future and enhancing its global competitiveness in emerging technologies. Lores reaffirmed HP’s commitment to being a key player in Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, manufacturing sector, and AI development.

He concluded: “Our investments reflect HP’s deep commitment to supporting the ambitious goals of Vision 2030.”

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Business

SpaceX on Cusp of Record IPO that Could Make Musk a Trillionaire

FILE - SpaceX's mega rocket Starship prepares for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
FILE - SpaceX's mega rocket Starship prepares for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
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SpaceX on Cusp of Record IPO that Could Make Musk a Trillionaire

FILE - SpaceX's mega rocket Starship prepares for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
FILE - SpaceX's mega rocket Starship prepares for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

SpaceX enters the final stretch Thursday before its expected trading on Wall Street as part of the biggest initial public offering in history, which could propel co-founder Elon Musk to trillionaire status.

The company will be the first out of the gates among the tech and AI giants eyeing public markets, with OpenAI and Anthropic expected to follow, as both have filed with regulators for their own market debuts, AFP said.

If all goes as expected, the space and rocket company co-founded by Musk in 2002 will begin trading on the Nasdaq exchange on Friday morning, with all eyes on how Wall Street will absorb the blockbuster IPO that could send tremors across global markets.

For high-profile companies, the first day of trading traditionally sees executives ring the opening bell to mark the start of the session -- in this case at New York's Times Square, home of the Nasdaq.

The IPO is Musk's biggest financial gamble yet, with his xAI company and the X social media platform (formerly Twitter) also included in the SpaceX offering after the multi-billionaire folded them into the company earlier this year.

The company will offer more than 555 million shares at an expected $135, placing SpaceX among Wall Street's most elite companies with a valuation of around $1.8 trillion.

The operation will become official on Thursday, including the pricing, with questions swirling over whether the company will raise its offer price amid reports that it attracted more than four times the available shares, according to Bloomberg.

Thirty percent of the shares will be reserved for retail investors, triple the amount that is typically allocated in IPOs, giving Musk fans a chance to fork over for a slice of the company.

- Data centers in space -

The success of the IPO rests squarely on investors' faith in Musk as a visionary entrepreneur. The tech multi-billionaire will serve as chief executive, chief technology officer and board chairman of the newly traded company.

The IPO is expected to mint thousands of new millionaires and many billionaires, with former and current employees -- and a long list of investors -- from the company's near quarter-century history looking to cash in.

The financials of the company are giving some on Wall Street pause, as the valuation largely depends on Musk delivering on promises worthy of science fiction, including putting data centers in space as well as people on Mars using as yet unproven technology.

While the company is growing fast -- revenue hit $18.7 billion in 2025 -- it is also losing money, producing a net loss of $4.9 billion.

In an extraordinary prediction, SpaceX's filing claims it can pull in over $28.5 trillion in revenue from its various markets.

Business

ECB Set for 'Insurance Hike' as Iran War Fans Euro Zone Inflation

FILE PHOTO: Dark clouds are seen over the building of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, June 6, 2024. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Dark clouds are seen over the building of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, June 6, 2024. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
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ECB Set for 'Insurance Hike' as Iran War Fans Euro Zone Inflation

FILE PHOTO: Dark clouds are seen over the building of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, June 6, 2024. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Dark clouds are seen over the building of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, June 6, 2024. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo

The European Central Bank is all but certain to raise interest rates on Thursday in the hope of nipping higher inflation in the bud before a surge in energy costs triggered by the Iran war spreads more broadly across the euro zone economy.

The well-telegraphed move would come as inflation in the 21-country currency bloc is already above 3%, well in excess of the ECB's 2% target, and economic growth is very weak - a backdrop that has economists split over the case for tighter policy.

ECB policymakers, some of whom had already pushed for action in April, are nonetheless expected to press ahead, seeking to keep a lid on inflation expectations and to safeguard their credibility after being slow to react to a post-pandemic inflation spike in 2022.

"The ECB needs to hike ‌to protect credibility ‌and prevent inflation expectations from de-anchoring, but it is still operating around neutral rather ‌than ⁠moving decisively into restrictive ⁠territory," Annalisa Piazza at MFS Investment Management said.

Thursday's hike would be the first in nearly three years and take the ECB's benchmark deposit rate to 2.25% from 2.0%. Sources have told Reuters the ECB is unlikely to commit to further rate rises this week but financial markets expect another two over the coming year, with the next move seen as soon as September.

The bank's new economic projections are also likely to hint at further rate hikes.

"New staff projections are likely to be consistent with three hikes and (ECB President) Lagarde is unlikely to dismiss this as unreasonable," JPMorgan's Greg Fuzesi said. "That would give the meeting a ⁠clear hawkish feel, even if the communication is likely to be more consistent with ‌the next move in September."

AN 'INSURANCE HIKE' THAT UNDERPINS EXPECTATIONS

Several ECB watchers have ‌characterized the expected move as an "insurance hike" - a precautionary step that could be reversed if price pressures fade.

Supporting the case for action, ‌the ECB is likely to raise its quarterly inflation projections on Thursday, bringing them closer to its "adverse" scenario published ‌in March, which saw inflation peaking at 4.2% in the final quarter of this year before falling back sharply in 2027. Consumers, companies and financial investors have revised their own views about price hikes, although medium-term expectations remain close to the ECB target and far from their levels in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Two hikes this year thus looks like a minimum," Anatoli Annenkov at Societe ‌Generale said. "Markets are likely to start pricing in the next hike in July... but we still think a majority of governors would prefer to wait for more ⁠data and new forecasts in September."

HEADING ⁠FOR A POLICY MISTAKE?

Not all economists are convinced. Some warn the ECB risks tightening into an economy that is already paying a high price for the Iran war.

Berenberg's Holger Schmieding said the ECB was "heading for a policy mistake" given a stagnant labor market and weak consumer demand.

"Amid the ongoing destruction of demand, the inevitable temporary surge in prices ... seems unlikely to turn into a protracted inflation problem that would need to be addressed by higher rates," he wrote in a note. A Reuters analysis of earnings call transcripts by euro zone companies showed just 40% of those outside the financial sector had raised prices or were planning to do so, roughly half the share seen as the Ukraine war pushed up energy prices in 2022.

Eric Dor, director of economic studies at France's IESEG School of Management, said the ECB was overestimating its ability to influence household and business expectations, particularly in a situation where inflation is driven by fuel costs rather than domestic demand. But the ECB has sharpened its messaging in support of tighter policy. Chief Economist Philip Lane - typically seen as an inflation "dove" - has said the Iran-related shock may be broader in scope than the Ukraine crisis, as it affects global energy markets rather than primarily Europe.

Business

Gold Rebounds from 6-month Low; Inflation Data in Focus

A vendor displays gold bracelets for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
A vendor displays gold bracelets for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
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Gold Rebounds from 6-month Low; Inflation Data in Focus

A vendor displays gold bracelets for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
A vendor displays gold bracelets for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)

Gold prices rebounded from a six-month low on Thursday, as investors bought the metal at bargain prices while awaiting a key US inflation report that could shed more light on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook.

Spot gold rose 0.5% to $4,095.64 per ounce by 0558 GMT, after hitting its lowest since November 21 at $4,022.09 earlier in the day. US gold futures for August delivery were ⁠down 0.4% at $4,116.20, Reuters reported.

"With ⁠prices hurtling towards $4,000, it's an obvious level of support that could prompt bears to book a quick profit or tempt battered bulls from the sideline," said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at StoneX.

"The US dollar index failed to gain much ground following Wednesday's CPI report. So, unless ⁠there are any nasty surprises in PPI (Producer Price Index) - gold could be due a technical bounce over the near term."

US consumer inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in May, boosted by surging prices for energy products amid the Middle East conflict.

The May US PPI data is due at 1230 GMT.

Traders are pricing in a more than 70% chance of a US rate hike by December, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The United ⁠States and ⁠Iran traded air attacks on Thursday for a second straight day, with US President Donald Trump vowing further strikes if Tehran did not immediately agree to a peace deal.

Oil prices climbed on Thursday, after Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US strikes.

Elevated crude oil prices can accelerate inflation, and while gold is viewed as a hedge against inflation, higher interest rates tend to weigh on the non-yielding metal.

Spot silver rose 0.4% to $63.95 per ounce, platinum gained 0.4% to $1,671.09, and palladium climbed 2.9% to $1,248.45.