Saudi Aramco Holds First General Assembly after IPO

Saudi Aramco will hold its first general assembly Monday after its IPO. (Reuters file photo)
Saudi Aramco will hold its first general assembly Monday after its IPO. (Reuters file photo)
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Saudi Aramco Holds First General Assembly after IPO

Saudi Aramco will hold its first general assembly Monday after its IPO. (Reuters file photo)
Saudi Aramco will hold its first general assembly Monday after its IPO. (Reuters file photo)

Saudi Aramco, the world’s top oil exporter, will hold its first general assembly Monday after its partial initial public offering (IPO) in the Saudi market.

Aramco's board of directors issued a statement inviting its shareholders to attend its first ordinary general assembly through the Tadawulaty system.

The statement said the meeting will be held online following the directives of the Capital Market Authority (CMA), which called for the suspension of physical attendance of general assembly meetings until further notice, and urged all companies to hold such meetings remotely.

This also comes in line with the precautionary measures issued by health authorities to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In order to be able to attend the meeting and vote, Aramco encouraged all its shareholders to register via the Tadawulaty system.

The eligibility to participate in the general assembly meeting and vote electronically on its agenda will be for shareholders that are registered in Saudi Aramco’s shareholders register at the Securities Depository Center (Edaa) as of the end of the trading session on the general assembly meeting day, and as per the relevant rules and regulations, according to the statement.

The company explained that the ordinary general assembly meeting shall be valid only if it is attended by one or more shareholders representing at least one quarter of the ordinary shares, provided that the state is represented.

However, if the quorum is not satisfied, a second meeting shall be held one hour after the designated period for the first meeting has ended. The second meeting shall be valid regardless of the number of ordinary shares represented, provided that the State is represented.

The statement announced that the attendees will vote on the report for the FY 2019. It will also appoint an external auditor and determine their fees to review and audit the company’s: financial statements for Q2 and Q3 for FY 2020, annual financial statements of FY 2020, and financial statements for Q1 of FY 2021.

Electronic voting started last Thursday and will continue until the general assembly meeting is concluded.

Meanwhile, Aramco’s shares closed trading Sunday at $8.3, while Saudi shares closed at a 0.8 percent gain, a 54-point increase.



Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Starbucks workers have expanded their strike to four more US cities, including New York, the union representing over 10,000 baristas said late on Saturday.

The five-day strike, which began on Friday and initially closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, has added New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Workers United said in a statement. It did not say where the New Jersey walkout was occurring.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Talks between the coffee chain and the union hit an impasse with unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike.

The union is striking in 10 cities, also including Columbus, Denver and Pittsburgh, during the busy holiday season that may impact the company's Christmas sales.

Workers United warned on Friday that the strike could reach "hundreds of stores" by Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

Starbucks began negotiations with the union in April. It said this month it had conducted more than eight bargaining sessions, during which 30 agreements had been reached.

The company operates more than 11,000 stores in the United States, employing about 200,000 workers.