King Salman Sends Message to Bouteflika

A soldier patrols in front of the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
A soldier patrols in front of the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
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King Salman Sends Message to Bouteflika

A soldier patrols in front of the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
A soldier patrols in front of the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

Prime Minister of the Republic of Algeria Ahmed Ouyahia received a message sent by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. It was conveyed by Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid al-Falih who was received in Algiers.

Falih reviewed with the Prime Minister areas of cooperation and joint work between the two countries, including cooperation in the efforts to rebalance the oil markets.

He and his accompanying delegation also met with Algerian Minister of Energy Mustapha Qaitouni. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in the world oil markets – the two countries stressed the need for adhering to oil production cuts.

They also discussed preparations related to the scheduled meeting between OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries in November in Vienna, as well as possible ways to make the meeting a success and emphasize trust in producers’ efforts.

Further, reliable sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Falih will visit three oil producing countries besides Algeria.

Last month, Falih visited Kazakhstan and discussed with his UAE and Kazakhstan counterparts the possibility of keeping the extension of oil output cut deal an option to be discussed in the upcoming meeting in November.

UAE Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui said on Wednesday he was hopeful that the meeting will help re-balance the market in 2018. OPEC Secretariat will present a couple of suggestions to be evaluated under the framework of reaching balance in the market.



Turkish Manufacturing Sector Nears Stabilization in December

01 January 2025, Türkiye, Nisantasi: People celebrate the new year in Istanbul's prestigious district of Sisli, Nisantasi. Photo: Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 January 2025, Türkiye, Nisantasi: People celebrate the new year in Istanbul's prestigious district of Sisli, Nisantasi. Photo: Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Turkish Manufacturing Sector Nears Stabilization in December

01 January 2025, Türkiye, Nisantasi: People celebrate the new year in Istanbul's prestigious district of Sisli, Nisantasi. Photo: Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 January 2025, Türkiye, Nisantasi: People celebrate the new year in Istanbul's prestigious district of Sisli, Nisantasi. Photo: Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Türkiye’s manufacturing sector contracted at the slowest rate in eight months in December, a business survey showed on Thursday, in a sign that the sector is nearing stabilization.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 49.1 last month from 48.3 in November, moving nearer to the 50 threshold denoting growth, according to the survey by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry and S&P Global.

“December PMI data provided plenty of hope for the sector in 2025. While business conditions continued to moderate, the latest slowdown was only marginal as signs of improvement were seen in a range of variables across the survey,” said Andrew Harker, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, according to Reuters.

The survey highlighted a softer moderation in production, which declined at the slowest pace in nine months, suggesting some improvement in demand.

The rate of slowdown in new orders and purchasing eased, although demand remained subdued.

“If this momentum can be built on at the start of 2025, we could see the sector return to growth. The prospects for the sector should be helped by a much more benign inflationary environment than has been the case in recent years,” Harker said.

Despite the positive signs, employment in the manufacturing sector saw a renewed decline, reversing a rise in November, the survey showed.

Input costs increased sharply due to higher raw material prices, but the rate of output price inflation slowed to its weakest in over five years as some firms offered discounts to boost sales.