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Saudi Arabia Establishes Largest Regional Port for Importing, Processing Grains

Flour mill worker. Asharq Al-Awsat
Flour mill worker. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia Establishes Largest Regional Port for Importing, Processing Grains

Flour mill worker. Asharq Al-Awsat
Flour mill worker. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) and SALIC, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company, a Public Investment Fund owned company, signed an agreement through video conferencing to lease a land in Yanbu Commercial Port to be used to develop the Kingdom’s largest and first grain terminal.

With a land mass of 313,000 square meters, the terminal will be importing, processing and exporting grains in the Kingdom in two phases, and with a total capacity of 5 million tons annually.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) Eng. Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen al-Fadhli and Minister of Transport Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, and was signed by Eng. Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalb, President of MAWANI and the CEO of SALIC, Eng. Sulaiman bin Abdul Rahman Al-Rumaih.

Commenting on the signing, Al-Jasser, who is Chairman of Mawani’s Board of Directors, said: “The Yanbu grain project aims to build the first regional center and logistic platform for importing, processing and exporting grains in KSA, taking advantage of the Yanbu commercial port’s exceptional location on the Red Sea coast and the competitive advantage its provides given its proximity to local and regional markets in the Red Sea Basin and the Horn of Africa.”

“This partnership plays a vital role in the ports and logistic services sector, given they are the main enablers of many key industries and sectors, including the food security sector,” he added.

“It also goes in line with MAWANI’s strategic objectives of fully utilizing the huge absorptive capacity in Saudi ports and raising the percentage of private sector investment in the port sector to 90% by 2030. By doing this it will serve the establishment of various development projects that contribute to achieving added value to the national economy, and supporting the investment landscape and commercial traffic in the Kingdom.”

“This regional project will support the operational traffic in the Yanbu Commercial Port, attract additional international shipping lines, and increase investment in the logistic services sector which will bring about significant growth in operational traffic and the increase in the number of ships that lead the port,” Al-Jasser concluded.

One of SALIC’s key strategic objectives is to significantly contribute to the import of basic commodities that are in line with the food security strategy in the Kingdom. Furthermore, the company aims to invest in supply chains and ports in Saudi and countries where SALIC holds investments to ensure the sustainability of the supply of all basic commodities.

For its part, one of MAWANI’s strategic objectives is to partner with public and private sector organizations to support the Kingdom's ports in becoming the leading regional and international ports and providing an efficient, high capacity, integrated port network.

This will significantly support the Kingdom's economic growth plans, stimulate the logistics services industry and global supply chains, and position Saudi Arabia as a global logistical hub and link to the three continents, in line with Vision 2030.

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Argentina Seals $20 Billion IMF Deal, Tears Down Currency Controls

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and Argentina's President Javier Milei talk ahead of a session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa and Mediterranean on the second day of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, June 14, 2024. (Reuters)
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and Argentina's President Javier Milei talk ahead of a session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa and Mediterranean on the second day of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, June 14, 2024. (Reuters)
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Argentina Seals $20 Billion IMF Deal, Tears Down Currency Controls

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and Argentina's President Javier Milei talk ahead of a session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa and Mediterranean on the second day of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, June 14, 2024. (Reuters)
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and Argentina's President Javier Milei talk ahead of a session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa and Mediterranean on the second day of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, June 14, 2024. (Reuters)

Argentina sealed a $20 billion, 48-month Extended Fund Facility deal with the International Monetary Fund on Friday and, in a major policy move ahead of the deal, dismantled key parts of its years-long currency controls and loosened its grip on the peso.

The IMF will disburse $12 billion by next Tuesday, while another $2 billion will become available by June.

The deal is expected to help Argentina "catalyze additional official multilateral and bilateral support, and a timely re-access to international capital markets," the IMF said.

"Key pillars of the program include maintaining a strong fiscal anchor, transitioning towards a more robust monetary and FX regime, with greater exchange rate flexibility," it added in a statement.

Earlier, the South American nation's central bank announced it would undo a fixed currency peg from Monday, letting the peso freely fluctuate within a moving band between 1,000 and 1,400 pesos per dollar, versus 1,074 at the close on Friday.

Argentina will eliminate major parts of the so-called "cepo" capital controls that have restricted access to foreign currency, the central bank said in a statement.

Companies, from this year, will also be able to repatriate profits out of the country, a key demand from businesses that could unlock more investment.

"As of Monday, we will be able to put an end to the foreign exchange restrictions which were imposed in 2019 and which limit the normal functioning of the economy," Economy Ministry Luis Caputo said at a press conference.

Libertarian President Javier Milei addressed the nation in a televised speech on Friday night and stated that Argentina was "in a better position than ever to withstand external turbulences."

However, an IMF staff report on the $20 billion deal warned that "downside risks remain elevated," as program implementation could be challenged by rising global trade tensions and, domestically, by the volatility added by the upcoming electoral cycle and fragile social conditions.

'THIS IS A DEVALUATION'

The new exchange rate system could allow the peso to weaken almost a third if the currency were to hit the weaker edge of the band, although the central bank is likely to have some tools to intervene. The band will expand 1% each month, the bank said.

The policy move came ahead of the final IMF nod for what is the 23rd program in a long and mottled history between the grains-producing nation and the Washington-based lender.

Funds from the IMF deal will be used to recapitalize Argentina's central bank and the government expects they will help usher in a healthier currency, reduce inflation and allow for tax cuts, Caputo said.

Other multi-year disbursements were also announced, including $12 billion from the World Bank and $10 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank.

Argentina needs the financial firepower to bolster depleted foreign currency reserves that are in the red on a net basis and have been falling in recent weeks, amid sticky inflation and a country risk index that has started to rise again.

The funds are also key to unlocking the currency controls, which will likely prompt a period of local market volatility already stirred up by the international tariff war between the United States and its trade partners.

"This is a devaluation, which rather goes against what the government would have intended to calmly get to elections," said economist Ricardo Delgado, referring to midterm legislative elections later in the year.

"It's a bit surprising that at this time of global volatility, the controls are being lifted," he added.