G20 Urges Commitment to Stabilize Oil Prices to Boost Global Economy

A pump jack operates in the Permian Basin oil production area near Wink, Texas, US, August 22, 2018. (Reuters)
A pump jack operates in the Permian Basin oil production area near Wink, Texas, US, August 22, 2018. (Reuters)
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G20 Urges Commitment to Stabilize Oil Prices to Boost Global Economy

A pump jack operates in the Permian Basin oil production area near Wink, Texas, US, August 22, 2018. (Reuters)
A pump jack operates in the Permian Basin oil production area near Wink, Texas, US, August 22, 2018. (Reuters)

G20 energy ministers met at a virtual summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia, pledging to work together to ensure oil "market stability”.

OPEC led by Saudi Arabia and its allies led by Russia, which together make up the informal OPEC+ group, had forged a pact to curb crude production by 10 million barrels per day (bpd) or 10% of global supplies in marathon talks on Thursday.

Russia and OPEC said they wanted other producers including the United States and Canada to cut a further 5%.

But efforts to conclude the deal hit the buffers when Mexico said it would only cut output by a quarter of the amount demanded by OPEC+.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdel Abdulaziz bin Salman told Friday’s summit: “Having affordable, reliable, accessible energy supply is considered a necessity to enable basic services, including health care, and help our efforts in assisting economic recovery.”

The standoff with Mexico had cast doubt on efforts to bolster oil prices, pushed to near two-decade lows by the demand-sapping coronavirus pandemic.

The subsequent G20 talks were expected to seal the deal more widely with non-OPEC countries in the group including Mexico, the United States and Canada, but there was no mention of cuts in the group's final statement.

"We commit to ensure that the energy sector continues to make a full, effective contribution to overcoming COVID-19 and powering the subsequent global recovery," the statement said.

"We commit to work together in the spirit of solidarity on immediate, concrete actions to address these issues in a time of unprecedented international emergency.

"We commit to take all the necessary and immediate measures to ensure energy market stability."

Mexico is the lone holdout in the multilateral OPEC-led deal to slash output in May and June by 10 million barrels per day. The cuts would gradually be reduced until April 2022, according to the deal.

Under the deal, Mexico was expected to cut production by 400,000 barrels per day but the country resisted during the overnight talks.

But Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had reached an agreement with his US counterpart Donald Trump to cut production by only 100,000 bpd.

Trump confirmed the deal, saying the United States will "make up the difference" by cutting "some US production".

The new OPEC+ deal envisaged all members reducing output by 23%, with Saudi Arabia and Russia each cutting 2.5 million bpd and Iraq cutting over 1 million bpd in May and June.

Riyadh and Moscow agreed that their cuts would both be calculated from an October 2018 baseline of 11 million bpd, even though Saudi supplies surged to 12.3 million bpd this April.

Under the plans, OPEC+ would ease cuts to 8 million bpd from July to December and relax them further to 6 million bpd between January 2021 and April 2022, OPEC+ documents showed.

Norway and Canada, both outside OPEC+, have suggested they could cut if the deal was implemented.



Riyadh's Global AI Summit Explores Human-AI Interaction

Riyadh's Global AI Summit Explores Human-AI Interaction
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Riyadh's Global AI Summit Explores Human-AI Interaction

Riyadh's Global AI Summit Explores Human-AI Interaction

The third edition of the Global AI Summit, organized by the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) in Riyadh, will review the international interest in data and AI, given the increasing growth in this sector and its impact on decision-making and business facilitation.
Around 120 dialogue sessions and workshops will discuss the relationship between the human mind and AI and whether it is based on integration or competition, the extent of compatibility between the capabilities of AI and human capabilities and the impact of this interaction on making and enhancing human decisions, in addition to understanding the capabilities of these technologies and assessing the extent to which they can achieve the public benefit of humanity
From September 10 to 12, participants and attendees from more than 100 countries will tackle how AI assists humans, especially in providing insights, analyzing data, and harmonizing in an integrated relationship in various aspects of psychological, social, and cultural life related to the use of these technologies, in addition to supporting decision-making processes in vital areas such as healthcare, finance, business, developing technical and creative skills, and analyzing social networks.
The Global AI Summit will display the ability of AI systems to understand human language and enhance the learning experience and the extent to which human-AI interaction applications are developing in the way to a better quality of life for humans, considering the Kingdom's interest in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, in which humans are its focus.
The summit is one of the key global summits in this field. Riyadh will witness an international presence from different continents to discuss the dimensions of AI and agree on formulating ideas and visions to explore the features of human-AI interaction.
The Global AI Summit is a remarkable opportunity for experts to exchange ideas and learn about the latest developments in a number of specializations, including learning technologies, accessibility and health, and human-robot interaction and its impact on supporting various aspects that help it adapt to these advanced technologies and employ them optimally while expanding the benefit of AI solutions in accelerating the wheel of development and growth in various fields to build a better present and future for subsequent generations.
The summit integrates with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 and its aspirations to transform the Kingdom into a global hub for advanced technologies under the leadership of SDAIA.