OPEC+ Agrees September Oil Hike

The OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken June 25, 2026. (Reuters)
The OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken June 25, 2026. (Reuters)
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OPEC+ Agrees September Oil Hike

The OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken June 25, 2026. (Reuters)
The OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken June 25, 2026. (Reuters)

OPEC+ approved an oil production quota increase on Sunday of around 188,000 barrels per day from September, the producer group said, in a move that completes the unwinding of a layer of voluntary output cuts.

The September increase agreed by core ‌OPEC+ ⁠members — Saudi Arabia, Russia, ⁠Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Oman — finishes the phased rollback of a 1.65 million bpd supply cut originally agreed in 2023, when the group still included the United Arab Emirates, which left OPEC in May.

A separate OPEC+ meeting of a panel called the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee also met, OPEC said on Sunday, and reiterated concern about attacks on energy assets during the US-Israeli war on ‌Iran, saying they were expensive and time-consuming to repair and so have an impact on supply.

With September's output hike now ⁠agreed, OPEC+ still ⁠has in place one more layer of output cuts that apply to most of the group's members. Those roughly 2 million bpd in cuts date back to 2022 and are due to remain in place until the end of this year.

OPEC+ is carrying out a review of its members' oil production capacity that will be used for the 2027 output baselines from which quotas are set.

It faces potentially difficult talks over new production quotas, with some members, including Iraq, pushing for higher individual quotas to reflect their higher capacity.

OPEC+ includes 21 members, comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries along with Russia and other allies.

The seven core members will hold their next meeting on September 6.



Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Expect September Fed Hike as Inflation Lingers

Federal Reserve building in Washington (Reuters)
Federal Reserve building in Washington (Reuters)
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Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Expect September Fed Hike as Inflation Lingers

Federal Reserve building in Washington (Reuters)
Federal Reserve building in Washington (Reuters)

Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan now expect the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this week after a string of stronger-than-expected inflation readings challenged hopes that price pressures would continue to ease without additional policy tightening.

The Wall Street banks joined a growing number of forecasters turning more hawkish after data last week showed ‌US consumer ‌and producer prices rose more than expected in August, ‌while ⁠oil prices climbed ⁠above $100 a barrel due to renewed hostilities in the Middle East, reported Reuters.

In a note on Friday, Goldman Sachs abandoned its previous call for rates to remain unchanged and now expects a 25-basis-point increase at the US Fed's September 15-16 meeting. J.P. Morgan, meanwhile, forecasts quarter-point hikes in both September and December.

The latest data have revived concerns that progress toward the Fed's ⁠2% inflation target could stall after months of moderation.

"We ‌think that the FOMC will be ‌reluctant to surprise," Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle said.

J.P. Morgan struck a similarly ‌hawkish tone following the inflation reports.

"The week that saw rising ‌bond yields and energy prices and a firm enough set of inflation readings to make a rate hike at next week's FOMC meeting more likely than not," J.P. Morgan economists led by Michael Feroli said in a note.

The outlook ‌for further Fed tightening will be in focus this week as policymakers conclude their meeting on Wednesday, ⁠while investors ⁠also watch the Bank of Japan for policy signals.

J.P. Morgan said the latest inflation data cast doubt on a sustained disinflation trend, leading it to forecast another Fed rate hike this year and raise its estimate of the long-run policy rate to 3.25%.

Markets are pricing in an 87% chance of a quarter-point Fed rate hike this month, up from about 70% before the latest inflation data, with another increase expected in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool.

In a separate note on Sunday, Goldman Sachs said it still expects two Fed rate cuts in 2027, though later than previously forecast, as it sees this week's expected hike as driven more by market pricing than inflation fundamentals.


Saudi Arabia’s Dammam Airports Signs Design Contract to Develop King Fahd Int'l Airport

Dammam Airports CEO Eng. Mohammed Al-Hassany and President of WSP for the Middle East and Asia Dean McGrail seen at the signing of the agreement on Sunday. (X)
Dammam Airports CEO Eng. Mohammed Al-Hassany and President of WSP for the Middle East and Asia Dean McGrail seen at the signing of the agreement on Sunday. (X)
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Saudi Arabia’s Dammam Airports Signs Design Contract to Develop King Fahd Int'l Airport

Dammam Airports CEO Eng. Mohammed Al-Hassany and President of WSP for the Middle East and Asia Dean McGrail seen at the signing of the agreement on Sunday. (X)
Dammam Airports CEO Eng. Mohammed Al-Hassany and President of WSP for the Middle East and Asia Dean McGrail seen at the signing of the agreement on Sunday. (X)

Dammam Airports CEO Eng. Mohammed Al-Hassany and President of WSP for the Middle East and Asia Dean McGrail signed on Sunday a design contract to develop the King Fahd International Airport in accordance with the airport's approved master plan.

Al-Hassany said signing the contract marks a significant milestone in the development of King Fahd International Airport.

Dammam Airports is committed to upgrading airport facilities, increasing capacity, and delivering a seamless, high-quality travel experience through modern design solutions and smart technologies that meet travelers' needs and accommodate future growth in passenger and air cargo traffic, he stressed.

This will reinforce the airport's status as an international gateway connecting Eastern Region to the world, he added..

The project scope includes designing the expansion of passenger terminals, upgrading facilities, and improving airport entrances and access roads. It also includes developing baggage handling systems, digital services, and terminal wayfinding systems to streamline travel procedures and enhance passenger comfort.

The master plan aims to serve more than 19.3 million passengers annually by 2030, with capacity to be increased in phases to 32 million passengers per year to meet future travel demand.

It targets increasing air cargo capacity to more than 600,000 tons annually and aircraft operational capacity to 77 movements per hour, supported by comprehensive expansions of infrastructure, runways, and general aviation facilities.

The contract is part of Dammam Airports' ongoing efforts to develop the airport ecosystem, boost operational efficiency, and contribute to achieving the objectives of the Aviation Program and Saudi Vision 2030.


Iraq Signs Technical Consultancy Agreement with Chevron to Develop West Qurna 2 Field

Officials are seen during Sunday's signing of the agreement. (INA)
Officials are seen during Sunday's signing of the agreement. (INA)
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Iraq Signs Technical Consultancy Agreement with Chevron to Develop West Qurna 2 Field

Officials are seen during Sunday's signing of the agreement. (INA)
Officials are seen during Sunday's signing of the agreement. (INA)

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil signed on Sunday an agreement with the US company Chevron to provide technical consultancy to the Basra Oil Company.

The agreement was signed under the auspices of Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi.

Al-Abadi said the agreement provides consultancy services during the negotiation period with the Basra Oil Company regarding the development of the West Qurna 2 field, reported Iraq’s state news agency INA.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Undersecretary for Upstream Affairs, Naseer Aziz; the Director General of the Basra Oil Company; the Director General of the Oil Marketing Company (SOMO); and the Director General of the Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate.