Iranian Rial Hits Record Low against Dollar

A money changer holding foreign banknotes at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. (Reuters)
A money changer holding foreign banknotes at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. (Reuters)
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Iranian Rial Hits Record Low against Dollar

A money changer holding foreign banknotes at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. (Reuters)
A money changer holding foreign banknotes at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. (Reuters)

The Iranian rial hit a historic low against the US dollar on Monday as the country’s economy continues to crumble.

The rial has lost around 15 percent of its value on the open market in the past three days, bottoming at 128,500 to the dollar by Monday evening, according to Bonbast.com, which monitors Iran's rates.

The drop followed a speech by central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati on Saturday, in which he announced tighter restrictions on allocating foreign exchange reserves, said financial journalist Maziar Motamedi.

"Hemmati said that he wishes to be much more careful in allocating foreign currencies at government rates, signaling a potential forthcoming shortage of hard currency," he told AFP.

The rial has lost 70 percent of its value in the past year, primarily due to increased hostility from the United States and its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal in May.

Official statements have done little to calm the markets.

Hemmati, who took over in August after his predecessor was sacked, "seems to have had a point when he said in (his inaugural speech) that he will try to minimize public remarks, as every comment coming from high-ranking officials aiming to calm the market has spurred negative reactions," said Motamedi.

The central bank has tried to calm the market, first by trying to end open-market trading in April, fixing the rate at 42,000 and shutting down exchange shops.

But that only sparked huge speculation and corruption on the black market, leading the government to sack the central bank chief and reverse the April measures.

Last week, Iran’s parliament sacked the minister of economic affairs and finance. In early August Iranian lawmakers voted out the minister of labor.

Protests linked to the tough economic situation in Iran erupted last December, spreading to more than 80 cities and towns and resulting in 25 deaths.

Sporadic protests, led by truck drivers, farmers and merchants in Tehran’s bazaar, have continued since then and have occasionally resulted in violent confrontations with security forces.

A set of US sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry is due to take effect in November.



Saudi Arabia Pledges $25 Bln Investment to Support Africa

Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji attends Africa Day reception in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji attends Africa Day reception in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Pledges $25 Bln Investment to Support Africa

Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji attends Africa Day reception in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji attends Africa Day reception in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced ambitious plans to scale up its diplomatic and economic presence in Africa, aiming to boost its investments on the continent to more than $25 billion by 2030, as part of a broader strategy to strengthen development and economic partnerships with African nations.

Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji said the Kingdom intends to expand its network of embassies across the continent to more than 40 in the coming years, underscoring Riyadh’s commitment to deepening its engagement with Africa.

Speaking at a reception marking Africa Day at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, Al-Khuraiji revealed that Saudi Arabia would provide $10 billion in export financing and secure an additional $5 billion in development funding for African countries by the end of the decade.

“Africa holds a central position in the Kingdom’s foreign policy and diplomatic outreach,” Al-Khuraiji said, noting that Saudi Arabia is keen to enhance cooperation in trade, integration, and multilateral coordination on shared global issues.

He added that the Kingdom has already contributed more than $45 billion to development and humanitarian projects in 54 African countries.

Of that, over $450 million was provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to support efforts in 46 African nations.