Dollar Stoops to Three-year Low

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Dollar note is seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Dollar note is seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo
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Dollar Stoops to Three-year Low

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Dollar note is seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Dollar note is seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo

The dollar fell near a three-year low against a basket of currencies on Friday, heading for a 5-week downtrend in a wave of losses that may be the longest since May 2015.

The US currency fell to its lowest level since December 2014 this week.

The dollar index remained close to those levels today, under pressure from fears that the US government might stop working.

The index fell 0.3% on Friday to 90.243, slightly above its Thursday low of 90.113.

The index has lost about 2 percent since the beginning of this year.

The euro rose 0.3 percent to $ 1.2276, near a three-year high of $ 1.2323 hit on Wednesday.

The US currency fell 0.5 percent against its Japanese counterpart to 110.60 yen. The yen recovered from its four-month low, which hit Wednesday at 110.19 yen per dollar.

The pound failed to hold on to previous gains against the dollar, and fell Friday morning by 0.2 percent at $1.38, and fell about 0.3 percent against the euro at 1.31 euros.

The US currency lost its morning gains on Thursday, influenced by mixed US economic data, with better than expected unemployment benefits applications, and disappointing data for new housing projects.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dropped to a 45-year low last week, Reuters reported.

The Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 41,000 to a seasonally adjusted 220,000 for the week.



Mawani Reports 13% Growth in Container Handling at Ports in May 2025

Mawani Reports 13% Growth in Container Handling at Ports in May 2025
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Mawani Reports 13% Growth in Container Handling at Ports in May 2025

Mawani Reports 13% Growth in Container Handling at Ports in May 2025

Ports supervised by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) recorded a 13% increase in container handling during May 2025, reaching 720,684 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared with 639,736 TEUs in the same period last year.

Transshipment containers increased by 12.89%, totaling 149,143 TEUs compared to 132,112 last year. Imports also grew by 15.84%, reaching 292,223 TEUs, compared to 252,265 TEUs in May 2024, SPA reported.

Outgoing containers increased by 9.38%, totaling 279,318 TEUs compared to 255,359 TEUs in the same month last year.

Total handled cargo—including general cargo, solid bulk, and liquid bulk—increased by 1.40% to reach 21,337,699 tons, up from 21,042,684 tons in the corresponding period of 2024. This total includes 935,932 tons of general cargo, 5,059,899 tons of solid bulk cargo, and 15,341,868 tons of liquid bulk cargo.

The ports also received 1,635,489 heads of livestock, marking a 61.22% increase from 1,014,417 in the same period last year. Maritime traffic rose by 9.39%, with 1,083 vessels received compared to 990 last year. Passenger numbers increased by 68.15% to 95,231, up from 56,636 in May 2024. The number of vehicles grew by 13.09% to 84,352, compared to 74,590 last year.