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SABIC Deal Pushes Saudi Shares to Record Level

SABIC Deal Pushes Saudi Shares to Record Level
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SABIC Deal Pushes Saudi Shares to Record Level

SABIC Deal Pushes Saudi Shares to Record Level

Saudi Aramco's 70 percent purchase of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) raised the weekly monetary value in the Saudi Stock Exchange to reach a historic level in which monetary liquidity recorded around SAR291.89 billion (USD77.83) on a weekly basis.

This coincided with the market index edging up for the fifth week in a row.

The Saudi Shares Exchange attained the longest series of weekly rises since the beginning of the year, in which the index made remarkable gains for five consecutive weeks. This occurred amid a positive performance of most trading firms and the start of the second tranche of the fifth phase of Saudi Arabia's inclusion of foreign funds affiliated to the FTSE Russell Emerging Market Index.

Saudi Shares Exchange’s trading saw a historic event last week which is Aramco’s acquisition of a 70 percent share of SABIC for SAR259.125 billion (USD69.1 billion). This deal reinforces Aramco’s strategy in diversifying its operations and income sources, and the fact that it isn’t an oil and gas firm only but also one of the biggest petrochemical companies worldwide.

Last week’s trading value recorded a sharp rise of SAR291.89 billion (USD77.83 billion) after sealing four SABIC deals for SAR259.1 billion (USD69.1 billion) compared to around SAR25.89 billion (USD96.90 billion) in the past week.

Saudi Aramco's weight in the FTSE Russell Secondary Emerging Markets index will increase from 0.51 percent to 0.77 percent on including the additional 450 million shares, which were allocated by Saudi Aramco to investors as bonus shares during the book-building process, FTSE Russell said in a statement.

In a related context, listed firms continued to declare fiscal results for Q1 of this year, in which 26 companies disclosed their quarterly outcomes last week bringing the total to 154 companies. A tally of 19 firms didn’t announce their results yet but will do by June 22 as a deadline.

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Business

Türkiye's Inflation Ticks up to 62%

A woman shops at a street market in Istanbul, Türkiye, 04 December 2023. (EPA)
A woman shops at a street market in Istanbul, Türkiye, 04 December 2023. (EPA)
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Türkiye's Inflation Ticks up to 62%

A woman shops at a street market in Istanbul, Türkiye, 04 December 2023. (EPA)
A woman shops at a street market in Istanbul, Türkiye, 04 December 2023. (EPA)

Türkiye's annual inflation rate ticked up slightly in November, the state statistics agency said on Monday, showing further signs of levelling off following a series of sharp interest rate hikes.

The rate moved to 61.98 percent last month from 61.36 percent in October, the TUIK state statistics agency said.

The pace at which consumer prices are rising has started to ease, after six successive months of interest rate hikes took borrowing cost to 40 percent from 8.5 percent.

Analysts are penciling in a final rate hike of 2.5 percentage points at the central bank's next policy meeting on December 21.

The latest batch of data show higher borrowing costs starting to slow down consumption -- a key goal of the central bank.

Türkiye's gross domestic product rose by just 0.3 percent between July and September. It had risen by 3.3 between April and June.

"The central bank will welcome these figures as evidence that demand is cooling and inflation pressures continue to soften," said analyst Liam Peach of Capital Economics.

Reset will take time

"However, bringing inflation down to much lower levels will require monetary policy to remain tight for a prolonged period and we expect the central bank to leave interest rates unchanged throughout 2024," Peach said.

Signs of Türkiye's economy starting to emerge from crisis are starting to be noticed by foreign investors, who had pulled out of the market because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's unpredictable past policies.

Analysts blame Erdogan for setting off the inflation spiral by forcing the nominally independent central bank to slash borrowing costs far below the rate at which prices were rising.

The official annual inflation rate peaked at 85.51 percent in October 2022.

Standard and Poor's revised Türkiye's long-term sovereign credit rating to positive from stable last month.

"Inflation appears to have peaked, albeit at elevated levels of over 60 percent," the ratings agency said.

But it also warned: "The policy reset will take at least two years to tame inflation."

Türkiye's central bank expects inflation to peak in May of next year at between 70 and 75 percent.

Business

UAE Banks Pledge $200 bln in Green Finance at COP28 Climate Talks

A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)
A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)
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UAE Banks Pledge $200 bln in Green Finance at COP28 Climate Talks

A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)
A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)

Banks in the United Arab Emirates on Monday pledged to mobilize 1 trillion dirhams, or around $200 billion, in green finance, the chair of the country's banking federation told the COP28 climate talks.

Announced on the day dedicated to finance at the event in Dubai, it joins a growing list of pledges on everything from building renewable energy to helping farmers improve soil quality, Reuters reported.

"At this pivotal moment it is my great honor to announce a landmark commitment that, fulfilling the UAE ambition, our UBF banking, national banks, have collectively pledged to mobilize over 1 trillion dirham," Abdul Aziz Al Ghurai said.

Business

COP28 Focuses on Protecting Health from Climate Risks

Participants walk next to COP28 flags in Expo City in Dubai (AFP)
Participants walk next to COP28 flags in Expo City in Dubai (AFP)
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COP28 Focuses on Protecting Health from Climate Risks

Participants walk next to COP28 flags in Expo City in Dubai (AFP)
Participants walk next to COP28 flags in Expo City in Dubai (AFP)

UN Climate Conference (COP28) focused on climate-related health issues, while discussions behind closed doors addressed vital other problems, such as the future of energy.

The UAE and several charities at the climate summit on Sunday offered $777 million in funding to eradicate neglected tropical diseases that are expected to worsen as temperatures rise.

COP28 President Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber said in a statement that climate-related factors "have become one of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century."

The pledges made during the summit on Sunday, which focused on climate-related health risks, included $100 million from the UAE and another $100 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Others to announce funds for climate-related health issues included Belgium, Germany, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The World Bank launched a program to explore possible support measures for public health in developing countries where climate-related health risks are incredibly high.

The burden of tropical diseases will worsen as the world warms, along with other climate-driven health threats, including malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress.

More than 120 countries have signed a COP28 declaration acknowledging their responsibility to keep people safe amid global warming.

Climate change also increases the frequency of dangerous storms and more erratic rainfall.

In September, Storm Daniel killed more than 11,000 people in Libya, and last year's massive flooding in Pakistan fueled a 400 percent increase in malaria cases across the country, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Earlier on Sunday, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said scientists were working on new treatments for and prevention of mosquito-spread malaria as the rise in temperatures creates more hospitable habitat for the insects to breed.

"We have new tools at the lab level that decimate mosquito populations," said Gates, whose foundation supports public health research and projects for the developing world.

"These innovations give us a chance, at a reasonable cost, to make progress."

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke on Sunday, urging reform of the global insurance system as another key demand to keep people safe.

"Right now, insurance companies are pulling out of so many places; they're not insuring homes, they're not insuring businesses," Clinton said, addressing a panel on women and climate resiliency.

She continued, "People everywhere will be left out with no backup, no insurance for their business or home."

Meanwhile, Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted a senior World Bank official saying that the bank had offered to host the Lost and Damage Fund.

Speaking to WAM, World Bank's Senior Managing Director (SMD) Axel van Trotsenburg said the agency will "work very closely with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) to create that fund."

Van Trotsenburg mentioned that countries face different challenges related to climate change.

"COP28 started with great announcements on the Loss and Damage Fund. It has been an extremely important decision and now needs to be set up."

He pointed out that small island countries with rising sea levels face different challenges than coastal regions. Therefore, solutions must be tailored to each country, but there is a global challenge.

"We need to be global. We need all countries to participate in this global challenge," van Trotsenburg noted, adding, "We need to ensure that we can keep the 1.5 degrees. So that means consequences for all of us."

Business

Gold Prices Sprint to All-time Peak on Fed Rate-cut Bets

(FILES) Gold bullion bars are pictured after being inspected and polished at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on August 5, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
(FILES) Gold bullion bars are pictured after being inspected and polished at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on August 5, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
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Gold Prices Sprint to All-time Peak on Fed Rate-cut Bets

(FILES) Gold bullion bars are pictured after being inspected and polished at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on August 5, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
(FILES) Gold bullion bars are pictured after being inspected and polished at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on August 5, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Gold prices hit all-time highs above $2,100 per ounce on Monday as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's remarks elevated traders' confidence that the US central bank could cut interest rates early next year.

Spot gold was up 0.6% at $2,083.81 per ounce by 0627 GMT, after surging to an all-time high of $2,111.39 earlier.

US gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,103.30.

"After his (Powell) speech, traders were more convinced that we're currently at the peak of the US interest rates and therefore, the path forward from here is more likely to be down rather than up," said KCM Trade chief market analyst Tim Waterer.

Powell on Friday said "the risks of under- and over-tightening are becoming more balanced", but the Fed is not thinking about lowering rates right now.
Lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding a non-interest-bearing bullion.

Traders are now pricing in a 70% chance for a Fed rate cut by next March, CME's FedWatch Tool showed, according to Reuters.

Backing market sentiment, data last week pointed out to cooling inflationary pressures, a gradually easing labor market, with Fed Governor Christopher Waller flagging a possible rate cut if inflation continues to decline.

"Technically, momentum is still looking strong after prices broke the resistance of $2,050/oz. Investors have been adding fresh long to position both against rising geopolitical tensions and rising prospects of Fed rate cuts," ANZ commodity strategist Soni Kumari said.

"Long positions have reached the highest since May 2022, still positionings are not crowded. This suggest there will be further move up this week, if news flows remain supportive."

Business

COP28: Saudi Green Initiative Discusses Climate Initiatives

Saudi Green Initiative sessions are held on the sidelines of the COP28 conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Green Initiative sessions are held on the sidelines of the COP28 conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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COP28: Saudi Green Initiative Discusses Climate Initiatives

Saudi Green Initiative sessions are held on the sidelines of the COP28 conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Green Initiative sessions are held on the sidelines of the COP28 conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The third edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2023 activities kicked off on Monday in Dubai, coinciding with the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

The third edition of the Saudi Green Initiative is held under the slogan "From Ambition to Action."

It will address several topics, including financing climate action activities, innovating clean energy solutions, and activating the role of various society groups in climate action, as well as protecting land and marine areas in the Kingdom.

A group of the most prominent global policymakers, opinion leaders, and climate experts participate in the Forum to exchange ideas and vision, in addition to having deep discussions regarding the best available ways to efficiently address climate challenges and reach a more sustainable future locally and globally.

The Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2023 will also discuss topics related to sustainability, activating the role of financing to enable climate action, in addition to tree planting and environmental rehabilitation.

The Forum's activities allow visitors to listen to an elite group of climate experts from Saudi Arabia and the world, in addition to interacting with them about the most critical trends in the field of sustainability.

The Saudi Green Initiative will feature a series of panel discussions that will explore the key themes under four event pillars: "Industrial Plays,The Financial Architecture of Tomorrow,Innovative Transitions," and "Coherence for Impact."

The sessions will examine critical topics, including clean energy scaling, desertification mitigation, climate technology innovation, safeguarding the Red Sea, sustainable urban planning, CCUS, and hydrogen technology, and ESG investments.

Participants in the sessions will discuss investments in enhancing environmental and social practices, corporate governance, and ongoing reforms in the global financial system.

In the year of global assessment to determine the progress in achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, the Saudi Green Initiative forum will provide an important platform that contributes to accelerating global efforts to confront climate challenges.

Speakers confirmed at the Forum include CEO of Standard Chartered William Thomas Winters, Secretary General and CEO of World Energy Council Dr. Angela Wilkinson, CEO of Schlumberger Olivier Le Peuch, and CEO of Air Liquide François Jackow, and several Saudi government officials.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Saudi Green Initiative, an ambitious initiative to combat climate change, improve the quality of life, and protect the planet for future generations.

The initiative seeks to mobilize the efforts to achieve three main goals: reducing emissions, afforestation, and protecting land and nature.

Business

Saudi Minister of Energy: Global Demand for Petrochemicals to Continue to Grow

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaking at a former conference (File photo: Reuters)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaking at a former conference (File photo: Reuters)
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Saudi Minister of Energy: Global Demand for Petrochemicals to Continue to Grow

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaking at a former conference (File photo: Reuters)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman speaking at a former conference (File photo: Reuters)

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman expected global demand for petrochemicals to grow rapidly, bolstering demand for hydrocarbons as raw materials.

Addressing the 17th Annual GPCA Forum, the Saudi Minister stated that those discussing "the energy transition must accept the reality of today and the future.

Prince Abdulaziz explained that the rapid growth of the petrochemical sector will necessarily be reflected in the volume of demand for hydrocarbons as raw materials.

In his speech, Prince Abdulaziz referred to market and analyst reports, which expect the global petrochemical sector to grow by more than 50 percent to about 1.2 trillion tons annually by 2040.

"Petrochemicals are here to stay, and the hydrocarbon sector will continue to generate income and generate money for investors. So I would like to ask our friends talking about transformation to live with the data in their hands and the facts before them today and for decades to come," the minister said.

He pointed out that petrochemicals and their derivatives constitute about 50 percent of the components of our cars, including electric ones.

The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) themed "Mobilizing Chemistry for Impactful Transformation" is held in Doha and hosted by QatarEnergy.

The activities of the Forum kicked off on Sunday, and we will discuss the chemical industry's role in sustainability and the transition to clean energy.

Minister of State for Energy Affairs in Qatar and President and CEO of Qatar Energy Company Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi inaugurated the Forum.

Business

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Collaboration in Agriculture and Water Management

The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA
The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Collaboration in Agriculture and Water Management

The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA
The MoU was signed in Riyadh. SPA

The Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdurrahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı to strengthen cooperation and enhance production capabilities in agriculture, livestock, and water management.

During Sunday's signing ceremony of the MoU in Riyadh, the two parties expressed their commitment to preparing the agricultural sector in both countries for climate change.

They also pledged to introduce technologies in agriculture and crop production, develop the livestock sector, and strengthen plant and animal health, including their protection and safeguarding.

As per the MoU, the two parties will collaborate on the advancement of biotechnology, organic agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, and the formulation of quality policies in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the agreement covers cooperation in agricultural water management, monitoring water pollution from agricultural activities, and optimizing water usage in agriculture.

Business

Kuwait's al-Zour Refinery Now Fully Operational, KIPIC Says

Kuwait's al-Zour Refinery Now Fully Operational, KIPIC Says
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Kuwait's al-Zour Refinery Now Fully Operational, KIPIC Says

Kuwait's al-Zour Refinery Now Fully Operational, KIPIC Says

Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) said in a statement on Sunday that the third and final units at the al-Zour refinery are now operational.

The plant is now fully operational and refining capacity will increase to 615,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 410,000 bpd, the statement said.

Business

50 Big Oil Companies Pledge Significant Emission Reductions

US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the audience after delivering a speech on Saturday at the COP28 summit in Dubai (AP)
US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the audience after delivering a speech on Saturday at the COP28 summit in Dubai (AP)
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50 Big Oil Companies Pledge Significant Emission Reductions

US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the audience after delivering a speech on Saturday at the COP28 summit in Dubai (AP)
US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the audience after delivering a speech on Saturday at the COP28 summit in Dubai (AP)

COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber announced on Saturday that 50 major global oil companies have committed to reducing methane emissions, one of the most hazardous greenhouse gasses, to nearly zero by 2030 and cease routine natural gas flaring.

The 50 companies, members of the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter, collectively account for about 40% of the world's oil production.

Al-Jaber emphasized that the inclusion of oil and industry companies in COP28 would be a crucial element this year.

The announcement holds significant importance in significantly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by almost half in about seven years to mitigate the impact of global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The commitment includes major national oil companies such as Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Brazil’s Petrobras, Angola’s Sonangol, and multinational corporations like Shell and Total.

“The world does not work without energy,” said al-Jaber at an energy session on Saturday.

“Yet the world will break down if we do not fix energies we use today, mitigate their emissions at a gigaton scale, and rapidly transition to zero carbon alternatives,” he added.

Methane can be released at several points along the operation of an oil and gas company, from fracking to when natural gas is produced, transported or stored. Over a shorter period, it’s more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most responsible for climate change.

Al-Jaber urged oil and gas companies to exert more effort in finding solutions for indirect greenhouse gas emissions, otherwise known as Scope 3 emissions.

The Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter has the support of heavyweight OPEC nations, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In a separate commitment, approximately 117 governments pledged to triple the world’s capacity for renewable energy by 2030 during the COP28 summit on Saturday.

Business

Suez Canal, Scatec Sign $1.1 Bln Green Methanol MoU

An aerial view of the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal are pictured through the window of an airplane on a flight between Cairo and Doha, Egypt, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
An aerial view of the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal are pictured through the window of an airplane on a flight between Cairo and Doha, Egypt, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
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Suez Canal, Scatec Sign $1.1 Bln Green Methanol MoU

An aerial view of the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal are pictured through the window of an airplane on a flight between Cairo and Doha, Egypt, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
An aerial view of the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal are pictured through the window of an airplane on a flight between Cairo and Doha, Egypt, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

Egypt's Suez Canal economic zone and Scatec ASA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth $1.1 billion to supply ships with green fuel, a Suez Canal statement said on Sunday.

The MoU agreed on the sidelines of the COP28 conference held in Dubai envisages production of 100,000 tons of green methanol per year by 2027, the statement said.