Saudi Foreign Reserves Cover Imports For Four Years

A Saudi money changer displays Saudi Riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
A Saudi money changer displays Saudi Riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
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Saudi Foreign Reserves Cover Imports For Four Years

A Saudi money changer displays Saudi Riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
A Saudi money changer displays Saudi Riyal banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

An economic report said the current indicators have stressed the cohesion of the Kingdom’s national economy, amid the unprecedented challenges afflicting the global economy as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19.

The report revealed that the Kingdom’s financial reserves were sufficient to cover Saudi imports for 4 years (47 months).

According to Jadwa Investment (licensed by the Capital Market Authority), the size of the current foreign reserves with the Saudi Central Bank can cover about 47 months (4 years) of the Kingdom’s imports, or $10.5 billion of goods and products every month.

These indicators come amid extensive Saudi government efforts to stimulate the economy and overcome the negative effects of the coronavirus.

The Kingdom has launched a number of incentives and direct financial support packages worth 120 billion riyals ($32 billion) to strengthen economic activities through the private sector.

The Saudi government has also subsidized the salaries of private sector employees and granted concessional financing to MSMEs to support business continuity.

The Jadwa Investment report stated that the latest government official data reveals that the comprehensive money supply (an indicator of the availability of deposits and cash in circulation) has increased significantly in February by 7.5 percent on an annual basis, and by one percent on a monthly basis.

The growth in the overall money supply came mainly - according to the report - as a result of a continuous rise in demand deposits, which increased by 9.5 percent from February 2019, in addition to an increase in term deposits by 6.6 percent on an annual basis until February.



Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

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 Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

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 prices rose over 1% to hit a two-week peak on Friday, heading for the best weekly performance in more than a year, buoyed by safe-haven demand as Russia-Ukraine tensions intensified.

Spot gold jumped 1.3% to $2,703.05 per ounce as of 1245 GMT, hitting its highest since Nov. 8. US gold futures gained 1.1% to $2,705.30.

Bullion rose despite the US dollar hitting a 13-month high, while bitcoin hit a record peak and neared the $100,000 level.

"With both gold and USD (US dollar) rising, it seems that safe-haven demand is lifting both assets," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Ukraine's military said its drones struck four oil refineries, radar stations and other military installations in Russia, Reuters reported.

Gold has gained over 5% so far this week, its best weekly performance since October 2023. Prices have gained around $173 after slipping to a two-month low last week.

"We understand that the price setback has been used by 'Western world' investors under-allocated to gold to build exposure considering the geopolitical risks that are still around. So we continue to expect gold to rise further over the coming months," Staunovo said.

Bullion tends to shine during geopolitical tensions, economic risks, and a low interest rate environment. Markets are pricing in a 59.4% chance of a 25-basis-points cut at the Fed's December meeting, per the CME Fedwatch tool.

However, "if Fed skips or pauses its rate cut in December, that will be negative for gold prices and we could see some pullback," said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist at ANZ.

The Chicago Federal Reserve president reiterated his support for further US interest rate cuts on Thursday.

On Friday, spot silver rose 1.8% to $31.34 per ounce, platinum eased 0.1% to $960.13 and palladium fell 0.6% to $1,023.55. All three metals were on track for a weekly rise.