Saudi Targets Lowest Cost of Electricity Globally Through Solar Energy Project

Solar panels. File photo
Solar panels. File photo
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Saudi Targets Lowest Cost of Electricity Globally Through Solar Energy Project

Solar panels. File photo
Solar panels. File photo

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman revealed that the Kingdom is shifting closer to activating energy efficiency programs and applications at an intensified rate.

He also disclosed that the solar energy file will be activated to give the Kingdom the lead in terms of the lowest-cost per kilowatt of electricity.

Saudi Arabia will “very soon” be announcing a solar project that will take the lead in terms of the lowest-cost per kilowatt of electricity, the energy minister said during the “Don’t Forget Our Planet” virtual event organized by the Future Investment Institute (FII) to address environmental sustainability.

The Kingdom will produce 50 percent of electricity from renewables by 2030, Prince Abdulaziz added, stressing that Saudi Arabia is also planning to expand wind energy.

In March 2018, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a memorandum of understanding with SoftBank to build the 200-gigawatt solar project in Saudi Arabia by 2030.

“I can assure you that Saudi Arabia will not only be the last producer, but Saudi Arabia will produce every molecule of hydrocarbon and it will put it to good use, and it will be done in a most environmentally sound and more sustainable way. I am willing to say that by 2050, we will be the last and the biggest producer of hydrocarbon,” the energy minister said.

He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the concept of the circular carbon economy, which seeks to remove carbon emissions from the environment via a mixture of recycling and removing harmful pollutants, as well as sophisticated technology to remove emissions from the industrial process.

“We are trying to lead by example, and we are putting our money where our mouth is,” he said.

He highlighted Saudi projects in energy efficiency, solar power generation, and renewables that aim to generate half of its electricity from non-hydrocarbon sources by 2030. “We have a leadership that values sustainability,” he added.

The minister was speaking on a panel with other energy leaders, discussing the challenges and opportunities presented by recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.



Kuwait Offers Crude for July Delivery after Lifting Force Majeure

A boat sails in the Gulf waters as the sun sets behind Kuwait City's landmark Kuwait Towers on June 9, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
A boat sails in the Gulf waters as the sun sets behind Kuwait City's landmark Kuwait Towers on June 9, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Kuwait Offers Crude for July Delivery after Lifting Force Majeure

A boat sails in the Gulf waters as the sun sets behind Kuwait City's landmark Kuwait Towers on June 9, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
A boat sails in the Gulf waters as the sun sets behind Kuwait City's landmark Kuwait Towers on June 9, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

Kuwait Petroleum Corp is offering crude for July delivery via a tender, a document showed on Friday, after lifting force majeure and announcing plans to ramp up output.

The producer is offering Kuwait Export Crude with each cargo at 2 million barrels, according to the document.

They will be sold at a differential to the average Oman and Dubai price quotes on a delivered ex-ship basis, Reuters quoted it as saying.

The tender will close on Tuesday with bids ⁠remaining valid until Wednesday.

KPC ⁠said on Thursday that all force majeure notices issued during the US-Israeli war on Iran have been lifted with immediate effect, the government communication center reported on X.

The country's oil production would increase to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) ⁠within a week, coinciding with the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and resumption of commercial shipping, it added.

Kuwait exported about 1.2 million bpd of crude on average in the first two months of this year, which plummeted to near zero in April, data from shiptracker Kpler showed.

Last week, KPC sold 4 million barrels of crude for June delivery via a tender.

The cargoes were loaded via STS at Oman's Sohar area onto Very Large Crude Carriers Sea Ruby and Maran Atalanta, which are heading to China, Kpler data showed.


Stocks Rally Falters, Oil Rises as US-Iran Talks Postponed

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, June 18, 2026.  REUTERS/staff
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/staff
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Stocks Rally Falters, Oil Rises as US-Iran Talks Postponed

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, June 18, 2026.  REUTERS/staff
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/staff

Stock markets were mixed on Friday and oil prices rose after Switzerland said planned talks following up on the US-Iran agreement had been postponed, dealing a blow to the week-long rally.

Equities have been on a tear since the two announced last weekend that they would end their three-month conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, fueling global relief as economies have been hit by energy shortages and surging inflation.

The agreement has been signed separately by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and approved by Iran's supreme leader.

That was meant to signal the beginning of 60 days of talks on wider issues, including Tehran's nuclear program.

But Swiss officials said they would not start on Friday as expected, hours after US Vice President JD Vance's departure for the country was cancelled, with a spokesperson saying the "logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable".

The deal was also meant to halt the fighting in Lebanon, but Israel's military announced new strikes against Hezbollah targets in the nation's south. Lebanon has been a major sticking point in reaching a US-Iran deal.

"The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed," the Swiss foreign ministry said in a message to AFP.

"Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing," it said, without providing a new date for the talks.

Iran's Tasnim news agency had said "nothing has been confirmed" about the Tehran delegation's trip to Switzerland.

The news sparked a reverse in several equity markets that had been heading for a positive end, with profit-taking adding to the selling.

Seoul, which has hit multiple records this week and topped 9,000 points for the first time on Thursday, ended in the red after a strong start to the day led by tech firms.

There were also losses in Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta but Tokyo, Wellington and Manila edged up.

London dipped at the open but Paris and Frankfurt rose.

Oil prices, which have tanked around 10 percent this week, climbed with West Texas Intermediate up around 1.8 percent.

"With the deal signed, that geopolitical cloud is lifting, but markets have learned more than once that a resolution can unravel quickly," Josh Gilbert, at eToro, said.

"The hard work starts now, and investors will likely be cautious until we've got an air-tight deal and traffic genuinely flowing in full through the strait again."

American forces lifted on Thursday their naval blockade of Iranian ports that had prevented ships from sailing to or from the Iranian republic, the US military said, noting that its warships "will remain in the general area".

Activity was still muted in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck for energy shipments that Iran blockaded during the conflict.

Observers have pointed out that while the waterway -- through which about a fifth of crude passes -- has reopened, it could take some time before supplies are back up to pre-war levels.

The US-Iran agreement had allowed investors to look past Tuesday's Federal Reserve meeting, which ended with officials indicating they could hike interest rates before the end of the year owing to elevated inflation caused by the war.

Still, Forex.com's Fawad Razaqzada said traders would turn their focus back to the economic outlook.

"What is almost certain to happen now is that markets will become increasingly data-dependent once again. For now, equity bulls maintain some control," he wrote in a commentary.

"However, with valuations still elevated and a lack of obvious near-term catalysts, the prospect of profit-taking or a modest correction has become more plausible following the Fed's hawkish pivot."

The yen strengthened but remained above 161 per dollar -- and near its weakest level since 1986 -- after this week's jump fueled by Fed rate hike expectations.

The yen's gains were also helped by comments from Japan's Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, who warned of "bold action against excessive speculative moves in the foreign-exchange market".

The government spent around 11.7 trillion yen ($72 billion) last month propping up the currency by intervening in financial markets.

The currency was still in trouble despite the Bank of Japan's decision to hike interest rates on Tuesday to their highest since 1995.


UK Runs Much Bigger Than Expected Budget Deficit in May

Skyscrapers and office buildings in the City of London are pictured from Hampstead Heath in north London on June 18, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)
Skyscrapers and office buildings in the City of London are pictured from Hampstead Heath in north London on June 18, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)
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UK Runs Much Bigger Than Expected Budget Deficit in May

Skyscrapers and office buildings in the City of London are pictured from Hampstead Heath in north London on June 18, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)
Skyscrapers and office buildings in the City of London are pictured from Hampstead Heath in north London on June 18, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)

Britain's government ran a budget deficit of £23.3 billion pounds ($30.7 billion) in May, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday, up 30% on a year earlier and above all economists' expectations in a Reuters poll.

Economists polled by Reuters had a median forecast of £18.5 billion ⁠for the month.

In ⁠March, before the impact of the US-Iran war was clear, the government's budget watchdog forecast Britain would run a £115.5 billion ⁠deficit in the 2026/27 financial year, equivalent to 3.6% of national income and down from 4.3% in 2025/26.

Since then, the outlook for growth has weakened and borrowing costs have risen.

Last week Britain offered investors the highest yield since at least ⁠1998 ⁠when it sold £9 billion of 15-year debt.

The government is also struggling to finance extra defense spending within existing budget rules and previous promises to other departments, prompting defense minister John Healey to resign in protest last week.