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GCC and Ukraine Sign Political, Economic, Security MoU

President Petro Poroshenko of the Republic of Ukraine and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani (SPA)
President Petro Poroshenko of the Republic of Ukraine and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani (SPA)
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GCC and Ukraine Sign Political, Economic, Security MoU

President Petro Poroshenko of the Republic of Ukraine and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani (SPA)
President Petro Poroshenko of the Republic of Ukraine and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani (SPA)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the fields of politics, economy, security, culture, as well as education and tourism in the presence of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the General Secretariat of GCC and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The MoU was co-signed by GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani and Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin.

The MoU aims to hold consultations between the two sides in order to explore fields of cooperation and dialogue.

Assistant Secretary General of GCC for Political Affairs and Negotiations Abdulaziz al-Owaisheq reiterated that the memorandum deals with political negotiation and countering terrorism and its funding. He stated that the MoU has three main fields; security and political cooperation, economic cooperation, and exchange between Gulf and Ukrainian people through tourism, education and culture.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Owaisheq stated that the MoU will be the beginning of a series of negotiations dealing with politics, security, and countering terrorism, then it will deal with trade, investment, energy, education, health and tourism.

The Assistant Secretary-General stated that terrorism is an important issue for both the Gulf and Ukraine and there are three fields of cooperation between the two: security cooperation between security forces: Gulf police in UAE, security forces of GCC and their counterparts in Ukraine. Second, GCC and Ukraine want to counter terrorism funding through a committee of the GCC, according to Owaisheq. He also stated that GCC wants to fight terrorist rhetoric and ideologies and that GCC has specialized centers in Saudi Arabia and UAE which will cooperate with their peers in Ukraine for that purpose.

Owaisheq also explained that the MoU stipulates that both sides should hold meetings and negotiations to further explore means of cooperation and dialogue and suggest a suitable mechanism to achieve that. In addition, GCC and Ukraine agreed to hold an annual meeting, or whenever needed on the sidelines of UN’s General Assembly, and to task a group of experts with discussing any issues both parties agree on.

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Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
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Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)

Telecommunications companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) achieved a 12.46 percent growth in their net profits, which reached SAR 4.07 billion ($1.09 billion) during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.62 billion ($965 million) during the same period last year.

They also recorded a 4.76 percent growth in revenues during the same quarter, after achieving sales worth more than SAR 26.18 billion ($7 billion), compared to SAR 24.99 billion ($6.66 billion) in the same quarter of 2023.

The growth in the revenues and net profitability is the result of several factors, including the increase in sales volume and revenues, especially in the business sector and fifth generation services, as well as the decrease in operating expenses and the focus on improving operational efficiency, controlling costs, and moving towards investment in infrastructure.

The sector comprises four companies, three of which conclude their fiscal year in December: Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Mobily, and Zain Saudi Arabia. The fiscal year of Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications Company (GO) ends on March 31.

According to its financial results announced on Tadawul, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) achieved a 33 percent growth rate of profits, bringing its profits to SAR 661 million by the end of the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 497 million during the same period in 2023. The company also achieved a 4.59 percent growth in revenues to reach SAR 4.47 billion, compared to SAR 4.27 billion in the same quarter of last year.

The Saudi Telecom Company achieved the highest net profits among the sector’s companies, at about SAR 3.304 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.008 billion in the same quarter of 2023. The company registered a growth of 4.52 percent in revenues.

On the other hand, the revenues of the Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain Saudi Arabia) increased by about 6.69 percent, as it recorded SAR 2.55 billion during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 2.39 billion in the same period last year.

Commenting on the quarterly results of the sector’s companies, and the varying net profits, the head of asset management at Rassanah Capital, Thamer Al-Saeed, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Telecom Company remains the sector leader in terms of customer base expansion.

He also noted the continued efforts of Mobily and Zain to offer many diverse products and other services.

Financial advisor at the Arab Trader Mohammed Al-Maymouni said the financial results of telecom sector companies have maintained a steady growth, up to 12 percent, adding that Mobily witnessed strong progress compared to the rest of the companies, despite the great competition which affected its revenues.

He added that Zain was moving at a good pace and its revenues have improved during the second quarter of 2024. However, its profits were affected by an increase in the financing cost by SAR 26.5 million riyals and a rise in interest, while net income declined significantly compared to the previous year, during which the company made exceptional returns.