Saudi Aramco Appoints New Senior Vice President for Finance

Aramco
Aramco
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Saudi Aramco Appoints New Senior Vice President for Finance

Aramco
Aramco

Saudi Aramco has made new appointments during a meeting of its board of directors, sources told Bloomberg.

They said the board approved for Khalid al-Dabbagh to become senior vice president for finance, taking over from Abdallah al-Saadan, who is now chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu.

The board also appointed Motassim al-Maashouq to the post of president of treasury, the sources told Bloomberg.

However, it did not say if al-Maashouq will keep his post of vice president of IPO development in Aramco.

The appointed Aramco officials will take over their new positions starting September, the sources said.

The new appointments come at an important stage for Aramco, which said last month that it is looking to buy a stake in petrochemical maker Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

Aramco is weighing tapping the international bond market for the first time to finance the acquisition of SABIC, people familiar with the talks told Bloomberg in July.

The bond is likely to be combined with bank loans, it said.

The move into global capital markets could offer an alternative to an initial public offering, it added.

In another development, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said Thursday that Saudi Arabia has a "firm and long-standing policy" that petroleum supplies are not influenced by political considerations.

"The current diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Canada will not, in any way, impact Saudi Aramco's relations with its customers in Canada," he said in a statement.

Canadian analysts have said that the country imports from Saudi Arabia 75,000-85,000 barrels of oil per day.



Gold Firms in Thin Trade as Investors Weigh Fed Outlook

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
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Gold Firms in Thin Trade as Investors Weigh Fed Outlook

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Gold prices firmed on Monday, although trading was thin due to the holiday season and as investors looked for cues on the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy trajectory for next year after it signaled gradual easing in its latest meeting.
Spot gold added 0.3% at $2,628.63 per ounce, as of 0941 GMT, trading in a narrow $16 range. US gold futures eased 0.1% to $2,643.10.
"(It's a) Quiet day with lower liquidity and limited data releases during the holiday season," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
"We retain a constructive outlook for gold in 2025, targeting a move to $2,800/oz by mid-2025."
The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points on Dec. 18, although the central bank's predictions of fewer rate cuts in 2025 resulted in a decline in gold prices to their lowest level since Nov. 18 last week.
US consumer spending increased in November, supporting the Fed's hawkish stance, a sentiment that was also shared by San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly.
Higher interest rates dull non-yielding bullion's appeal.
"Presently, we are in a lull for Christmas week with the gold price trending sideways. Federal Reserve policy is clear with expectations of rising interest rates in the second half of the year," said Michael Langford, chief investment officer at Scorpion Minerals.
"The next big impact is the incoming presidency of (Donald) Trump and the initial presidential decrees that he might declare. This has the potential to add to market volatility and be bullish for gold prices."
Gold, often considered a safe-haven asset, typically performs well during economic uncertainties.
Spot silver rose 0.8% to $29.75 per ounce and platinum climbed 1.3% to $938.43. Palladium steadied at $920.53.