KSA Enables Private Sector to Invest In State Development Projects

Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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KSA Enables Private Sector to Invest In State Development Projects

Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Real Estate announced the signing of a MoU with the Projects Support Fund at the Ministry of Finance to enhance mutual cooperation in the field of partnerships with the private sector.

The memorandum gives the private sector the opportunity to invest in development projects in the sectors covered by the fund, namely education, health care and real estate development.

The governor of the Real Estate General Authority, Ihsan Bafakih, said on Thursday that the MoU reflected the Authority’s approach towards enhancing integration and partnership between all components of the government system in order to achieve the desired goals.

According to Bafakih, the Authority and the Fund seek, through the MoU, to achieve several goals, including contributing to financing real estate development projects, such as buildings and integrated service projects, in accordance with the financing policies approved by the Fund, in addition to qualifying private sector institutions and introducing them to the financial and technical requirements and providing an favorable environment to attract various qualitative investments.

On a different note, the National Debt Management Center at the Ministry of Finance (NDMC) signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI). The agreement was signed by Fahad Al-Saif, Chief Executive Officer of the NDMC, and Atsuo Kuroda, Chairman and CEO of NEXI.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, who is also the chairman of the NDMC’s Board of Directors, said that the signing of the Memorandum came in parallel with the fifth Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 Ministerial Meeting and aimed to expand the opportunities of financing government projects implemented by Japanese companies in the Kingdom.



Oil Prices Climb on Summer Demand Optimism

FILE PHOTO: A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk//File Photo
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Oil Prices Climb on Summer Demand Optimism

FILE PHOTO: A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk//File Photo

Oil prices climbed on Monday, supported by forecasts of a supply deficit stemming from peak summer fuel consumption and OPEC+ cuts in the third quarter, although global economic headwinds and rising non-OPEC+ output capped gains.
Brent crude futures rose 53 cents, or 0.6%, to $85.53 a barrel by 0729 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $82.05 a barrel, up 51 cents, or 0.6%.
Both contracts gained around 6% in June, with Brent settling above $85 a barrel in the past two weeks, after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their allies, a group known as OPEC+, extended most of its deep oil output cuts well into 2025, Reuters said.
That led analysts to forecast supply deficits in the third quarter as transportation and air-conditioning demand during summer draw down fuel stockpiles.
On Friday, the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) reported that oil production and demand for major products rose to a four-month high in April, supporting prices.
"We continue to hold a supportive view towards Brent, although there are concerns around demand, such as US gasoline demand and Chinese apparent demand," ING analysts led by Warren Patterson said in a note.
Factory activity among smaller Chinese manufacturers grew at the fastest pace since 2021 due to overseas orders, a private index showed, even as a broader survey indicated weak domestic demand and trade frictions had led to another industrial sector contraction. China is the world's no.2 consumer and top crude importer.
Hopes of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve and rising geopolitical concerns in Europe and between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have also kept a floor under prices, IG analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note.
WTI's recent rally may extend towards $85 a barrel if prices remain above the 200-day moving average at $79.52, he said.
Traders are watching out for the impact from hurricanes on oil and gas production and consumption in the Americas.
The Atlantic hurricane season started with Hurricane Beryl on Sunday. Beryl, the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record, headed toward the Caribbean's Windward Islands where it is expected to bring life-threatening winds and flash flooding on Monday, the US National Hurricane Center said.