Saudi Stock Exchange to Stimulate Sustainability for Family Businesses

Family companies are invited to take advantage of the Saudi financial markets for their sustainability, Asharq Al-Awsat
Family companies are invited to take advantage of the Saudi financial markets for their sustainability, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Stock Exchange to Stimulate Sustainability for Family Businesses

Family companies are invited to take advantage of the Saudi financial markets for their sustainability, Asharq Al-Awsat
Family companies are invited to take advantage of the Saudi financial markets for their sustainability, Asharq Al-Awsat

The Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia (CMA) and Tadawul are mobilizing to increase the momentum of stimulating the Saudi private sector towards the transformation into joint-stock companies and to benefit from the financial markets in the country, especially the parallel market, Nomu.

This is coupled with indicators of economic recovery in the aftermath of the coronavirus lockdown and its lifting.

The past few days have witnessed active mobility from the CMA and Tadawul to raise awareness in the private sector.

They set out to encourage small and medium-sized companies and invited entrepreneurs to take advantage of financial market financing.

They invited family companies to seize the opportunity of the financial market to gain sustainability through the Tadawul market and Nomu, especially with the incentives and procedural facilities that are being provided.

CMA Chairman Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, in a meeting held a few days ago, said that family companies are invited to gain sustainability through the Saudi financial market which has recorded tangible progress that contributes in practical terms to adding an effective financing channel to develop businesses for companies.

El- Kuwaiz pointed out that 30% of family businesses avoid public offering due to a fear of losing control of the company.

But studies prove that more firmness and steadfastness are acquired after the offering in front of challenges. El- Kuwaiz pointed out that the dominant percentage of shares remains for the original owners.

He also underlined the relationship between disclosure and corporate governance, risk reduction related to family business management and the low cost of financing after listing, explaining that CMA regulations place clear considerations for the relationship between shareholders and founders of family businesses.



China Temporarily Bans Helium Exports as US-Iran Tensions Flare Again

Ships and containers at a Chinese port (Reuters)
Ships and containers at a Chinese port (Reuters)
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China Temporarily Bans Helium Exports as US-Iran Tensions Flare Again

Ships and containers at a Chinese port (Reuters)
Ships and containers at a Chinese port (Reuters)

China announced on Friday a temporary export ban on helium, effective immediately, as resumption of military conflict in the Middle East threatens to trigger new shortages of the gas critical for chip manufacturing.

Earlier this year, the US-Israeli war on Iran led to helium shortages, disrupting companies globally, including in China, where the AI industry increasingly relies on domestic chips for training and ⁠running AI models. Helium is essential for heat management in semiconductor production.

The helium ban is the latest example of Beijing seeking to prevent domestic shortages of critical materials by curbing exports. It has previously imposed similar measures on fuel, fertilizers and sulfuric acid.

China is also looking to boost domestic chip manufacturing capacity and reduce the industry's dependence on cutting-edge Nvidia semiconductors that fall under US export controls.

China is heavily ⁠dependent on overseas helium despite efforts to expand domestic production.

Still, the export ban could squeeze global supply further because Chinese companies have increasingly acted as intermediaries, importing Russian helium and re-exporting some volumes to overseas markets, including Europe.

According to Reuters, analysts ⁠estimate China imports around 85% or more of its helium requirements. Qatar accounts for a major share of global helium output and has supplied more than half ⁠of China's imports in recent years.

Helium is extracted from natural gas fields with unusually high helium concentrations and cannot be quickly manufactured from ⁠other industrial processes.

In chipmaking, it is used for wafer cooling, plasma etching, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, lithography support and leak detection.


IEA Says Global Oil Demand Picks Up Despite War Fears

FILE PHOTO: A drone view of three berths able to load vessels with oil is seen after their construction at Westridge Marine Terminal, the terminus of the Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A drone view of three berths able to load vessels with oil is seen after their construction at Westridge Marine Terminal, the terminus of the Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
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IEA Says Global Oil Demand Picks Up Despite War Fears

FILE PHOTO: A drone view of three berths able to load vessels with oil is seen after their construction at Westridge Marine Terminal, the terminus of the Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A drone view of three berths able to load vessels with oil is seen after their construction at Westridge Marine Terminal, the terminus of the Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo

The International Energy Agency said Friday that "a recovery" in global oil demand had started as supplies tentatively start moving through the strategic Strait of Hormuz again and prices ease.

"A recovery in world oil demand is underway, with consumption set to rise from its May nadir," AFP quoted the IEA's monthly report as saying.

The agency had in June predicted a fall in demand of 1.1 million barrels a day (mbd) through 2026 because of the Middle East war, which strangled traffic through the strait. It now expects a one million barrel a day fall.

"Global oil supply rebounded by a sharp 4.1 mbd to 98.8 mbd in June, as a resumption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz underpinned a partial recovery in Gulf production. World output was nevertheless some 9.4 mb/d below pre-war levels," it said.

"Total Gulf oil exports, including volumes bypassing the Strait, surged by 6.5 mbd in June, to 16.1 mbd - a big jump but still well below the 24 mbd average before the war started."

According to the IEA, world supply improved to 102.6 mbd in June and would continue to get better if there was "a swift de-escalation of renewed hostilities".

"If transit volumes improve, oil supply will expand by 7.5 mbd next year," the agency added.

The agency said world oil reserves increased for the first time since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 set off the war.

It added that stocks in the richest nations had fallen as their oil imports remained low despite the rise in volumes being transported by sea.

While oil prices fell dramatically in June, fresh fighting between US and Iranian forces this week "clouds the outlook", the IEA said.

"Renewed exchanges of fire in the Gulf this week highlight the risks of not reaching a lasting peace agreement, which is a must for the normalization in oil markets," it commented.


Humain, Cohere Launch Strategic Partnership to Expand AI Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia

Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Humain, Cohere Launch Strategic Partnership to Expand AI Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia

Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Humain, the company building an integrated artificial intelligence ecosystem, and Canadian sovereign AI company Cohere have announced a strategic partnership to develop AI computing infrastructure and support the development of sovereign AI models and enterprise AI solutions in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement was announced during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the Kingdom, marking Cohere’s first international expansion outside North America.

Under the partnership, Humain will allocate at least 50 megawatts of AI-dedicated computing capacity to support the next generation of foundation models being developed by Cohere.

The capacity may be expanded over the next five years in line with growing demand, with the infrastructure scheduled to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2027.

The collaboration also includes the development of customized AI solutions for enterprises, sovereign Arabic-language models, and specialized models for various economic sectors, supporting the secure adoption of AI applications across the Kingdom.

Humain Chief Executive Officer Tareq Amin said access to computing capacity will be the defining factor in the future of artificial intelligence.

He added that Cohere’s decision to establish its first large-scale international computing deployment in Saudi Arabia reflects the strength of the infrastructure Humain is developing to support advanced AI research and foundation models.

For his part, Aidan Gomez, Cohere’s co-founder and chief executive officer, said developing new generations of AI models requires sustained access to high-performance computing.

He added that the partnership with Humain provides the infrastructure and flexibility needed to support the company’s long-term strategy, while also enabling collaboration on sovereign AI models and initiatives that will benefit both Saudi Arabia and global markets.

The partnership aims to combine Humain’s AI infrastructure with Cohere’s expertise in developing large language models, strengthening regional AI computing capabilities and creating a scalable platform to meet growing demand for enterprise AI solutions.

It also seeks to enable organizations to deploy secure, production-ready AI applications tailored to business needs.