Saudi Arabia Launches National Industrial Development and Logistics Program

Saudi Arabia launches the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia launches the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Launches National Industrial Development and Logistics Program

Saudi Arabia launches the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia launches the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. (SPA)

The National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) was inaugurated on Monday in a ceremony held under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The program aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a leading industrial power and a global logistics platform.

Minister of Transport, Dr. Nabil bin Mohammed Al-Amoudi said that the Kingdom is witnessing, under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and follow up from Crown Prince Mohammed, a rapid and unique process of progress and development, represented by the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

He added that the vision is based on building a productive society, a prosperous economy and an ambitious nation.

He stressed that the NIDLP aims at integrating the capabilities of the Kingdom's state agencies, as well as attracting and encouraging local and international investments through the energy, industry, mining, and logistics. This will allow Saudi Arabia to become a leading industrial power and a global logistics platform.

Furthermore, Amoudi revealed that more than 300 initiatives are currently underway, stressing that the main driver of this program is the local and international private sector.

He said that the program supported all its initiatives with a wide range of potentials and incentives to attract more than SR1.7 trillion in local and international investments.

This will boost the contribution of the four main sectors to the Gross Domestic Program (GDP) to SR1.2 trillion. It will increase the contribution of the local content to more than SR700 billion and create 1.6 million new jobs and raise the volume of Saudi exports to more SR1 trillion.



Gold Set for Weekly Drop; Traders Await US Inflation Data

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
TT

Gold Set for Weekly Drop; Traders Await US Inflation Data

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 rose on Friday, but were set for a weekly decline after the Federal Reserve signalled a slowdown in rate cuts next year, while focus shifted to a key US inflation print due later in the day.
Spot gold was up 0.5% at $2,606.19 per ounce, as of 0821 GMT, but has lost about 1.5% so far this week.
US gold futures was 0.5% higher at $2,620.60, Reuters said.
Gold is consolidating as "investors await Trump to resume office next year and the Fed will also go meeting by meeting, considering the data development and seeing what is part of Trump's trade policy," said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist at ANZ.
Investors now await the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, for further clues on the US economic outlook.
The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, but the cautious note struck in its economic projections and expected slowdown of rate cuts pushed gold to its lowest level since Nov. 18.
Data showed on Thursday that the US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter, while jobless claims also slipped more than anticipated, reinforcing expectations that the central bank will take a cautious approach to policy easing.
A slightly more hawkish set of the Fed's regional bank presidents will become voters on its rate-setting panel in 2025, raising the chance that any further rate cuts next year could spur more dissents like the one seen from the head of the Cleveland Fed.
Higher rates dull the appeal of the non-yielding asset.
According to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao, spot gold may retest support at $2,582 per ounce.
Spot silver gained 0.1% to $29.06 per ounce but was headed for its worst week since April.
Platinum dropped 0.2% at $921.50 and palladium rose 0.5% to $910.63. Both the metals were poised for weekly losses.