Saudi Arabia to Host IPTC Every 2 Years

A helmet with logo of Saudi Aramco is pictured at the oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
A helmet with logo of Saudi Aramco is pictured at the oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Saudi Arabia to Host IPTC Every 2 Years

A helmet with logo of Saudi Aramco is pictured at the oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
A helmet with logo of Saudi Aramco is pictured at the oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

Saudi Aramco started preparing for the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) 2022 that will be held in Saudi Arabia every two years.

The 12th edition of the IPTC, the largest international oil and gas conference, concluded in Dhahran on Wednesday. It was held under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

The conference attracted a record 18,000 attendees and over 1,200 organizations from more than 70 countries, as well as over 250 exhibiting companies.

The Saudi cabinet, which on Wednesday held a meeting chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, welcomed the opening of the 12th International Petroleum Technology Conference in the Kingdom, stressing that it was in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

There were prominent speakers such as Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Aramco Chairman Yasir Rumayyan, Bahrain’s Minister of Oil Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Total Patrick Pouyanne, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil Darren W. Woods.

Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Upstream Mohammed Y. al-Qahtani affirmed that “the IPTC was the first international multi-disciplinary, inter-society oil and gas conference and exhibition held in Saudi Arabia.”

“The Kingdom, with some of the world’s largest oil reserves, occupies a unique position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia, making it a fitting location for one of the largest and most prestigious international conferences for petroleum engineering,” he said.



Gold Drops Nearly 2% on Profit-booking, Trump's Treasury Secretary Pick

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Gold Drops Nearly 2% on Profit-booking, Trump's Treasury Secretary Pick

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold dropped nearly 2% on Monday, weighed down by profit-taking after a five-session rally, with further pressure from the announcement of fund manager Scott Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary.
Spot gold was down 1.8% at $2,664.53 per ounce, as of 0619 GMT, after declining more than 2% earlier in the session. Bullion had hit its highest since Nov. 6 earlier in the day.
US gold futures shed 1.7% to $2,666.40.
Gold's five-session rally has paused due to some profit-taking and Donald Trump's pick of Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary, hinting at tempered use of tariffs and easing US-China trade uncertainty, said IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong.
President-elect Trump has floated the idea of a 60% tariff on Chinese goods and at least a 10% levy on all other imports.
Gold is considered a safe investment during times of economic and political uncertainty.
Investors are also awaiting minutes of the Federal Reserve's November meeting, GDP data (first revision), and core PCE figures, all due this week.
Traders currently see a 56% chance of another 25-basis-point rate cut in December, compared to 62% last week, according to the CME Fedwatch tool.
Recent less dovish signals from US policymakers suggest any unexpected rise in inflation could strengthen expectations of a rate hold in December, Rong said.
Higher interest rates tend to make gold less appealing, as they yield no interest.
Some Fed policymakers last week expressed concerns that inflation progress may have stalled, advocating for caution, while others emphasized the need for continued rate cuts.
On the geopolitical front, Hezbollah fired heavy rockets at Israel on Sunday, following an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 29 in Beirut. There were reports of damage near Tel Aviv.
Spot silver fell 2.2% to $30.63 per ounce, platinum was down 1.2% to $952.00 and palladium slipped 1% to $998.88.