Saudi MODON, Techno for Advanced Materials Agree to Establish First CNTs Plant

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Saudi MODON, Techno for Advanced Materials Agree to Establish First CNTs Plant

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

The Saudi Organization for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) signed an agreement with a technology company for advanced materials to host the latter’s first plant to produce Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in an effort to empower the industry in Saudi Arabia and support value added industries.

While Saudi Arabia has been working to boost the growth of industrial production, thus increasing its contribution to its GDP, Modon aims to support value added industries and stimulate local companies to expand in this field.

The agreement aims at supporting the specialized company to establish its first factory for the production of CNTs, which stimulate the paint industry and is in line with modern construction techniques.

It comes as Saudi factories achieved positive growth rates in the second quarter of 2018, confirming the vitality of these factories and their ability to contribute effectively to the Kingdom’s GDP.

The country’s economic growth rates started to increase in 2018, with expectations for higher growth this year.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics issued the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for the second Quarter 2018, which shows the results of the relative change and development in the quantities of materials and goods produced.

“When comparing the results of the second quarter 2018 with the results of the previous quarter (Q1 2018), we find that the production quantities have increased by 4.17 percent in all industrial activities, amounting to 137.87 points,” the report said.

The production increase rate in the mining and quarrying activity rise up 1.89 percent. However, the production growth rate increased by 5.07 percent in the manufacturing industry activity, and the electricity and gas supply activity rise by 83.46 percent.

“Furthermore, when comparing the results of the second quarter 2018 with the results of the second quarter 2017, we find that the production quantities increase by 5.84 percent in all industrial activities,” the report explained.

The production growth rate recorded 16.44 percent in the manufacturing industry activity while the production rate of electricity and gas supply has recorded a decrease of 0.30 percent.

These results coincide with the process of providing industrial land developed at very nominal prices, one of the most important support tools provided by Saudi Arabia to investors in the industrial sector, in addition to the provision of high financial loans to these investors.



OPEC Sees Robust Oil Demand in Third Quarter

The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais (X)
The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais (X)
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OPEC Sees Robust Oil Demand in Third Quarter

The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais (X)
The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais (X)

The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais, said the group anticipates exceptionally strong demand for oil in the third quarter of this year, with only a narrow gap expected between supply and consumption in the months that follow.

According to Russia’s state news agency on Monday, Al Ghais shared these assessments with reporters on the sidelines of last week’s OPEC seminar in Vienna. He indicated that the organization foresees demand rising by 1.3 million barrels per day on an annual basis in 2025, driven largely by a resilient global economy.

He explained that this outlook suggests a particularly robust increase in consumption during the third quarter. Demand is also projected to stay healthy into the fourth quarter, while the difference between production and usage should remain minimal. Al Ghais noted that this dynamic is among the key factors encouraging the alliance of eight oil-producing countries to consider raising output once again.

OPEC’s latest oil market outlook, published last Thursday, forecasts that global demand will average 105 million barrels per day this year. The report predicts demand will climb further to 106.3 million barrels per day in 2026 and reach 111.6 million barrels per day by 2029.

Meanwhile, eight members of the broader OPEC+ coalition - which includes Russia among other allies - are moving to phase out production cuts that have been in place for years to help stabilize the market.

Five sources told Reuters that OPEC+ producers are leaning toward agreeing on another production increase in September.