Aramco: National Industry Development and Logistics Program is Historic Event in Saudi Development

Saudi Arabia launches the National Industry Development and Logistics Program. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia launches the National Industry Development and Logistics Program. (SPA)
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Aramco: National Industry Development and Logistics Program is Historic Event in Saudi Development

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

President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco Amin Nasser hailed on Monday the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) as a historic event in Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of national development, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The NIDLP was inaugurated on Monday by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, during a ceremony in Riyadh.

In a statement, Nasser stressed that Saudi Arabia will witness a new era for industrial and economic prosperity due to its unique strategic location as a crossing point between three major continents.

He added that this program invests in the Kingdom's global energy power in order to generate more investment opportunities as well as national and international partnerships.

"The NIDLP is a comprehensive umbrella that integrates efforts of many strategic sectors to establish an advanced future system that will enable the Kingdom to become a global leading player in the fields of infrastructure, industry, mining, logistics and supply chains by 2030,” said Nasser.

“Through strengthening the Kingdom's status in the energy field, the program will achieve a qualitative leap in industrial exports in addition to creating huge opportunities for private sector, employment and innovation in technology and business," he added.

He stressed that the program also focuses on the qualitative aspects, including Fourth Industrial Revolution techniques, achieving the highest degree of efficiency, competitiveness and regional and international integration through developing the attractive environment for work, investment and talents.



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
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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.