Saudi Telecom Appoints New CEO

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has named Olayan Mohammed al-Wetaid as the new group CEO.
Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has named Olayan Mohammed al-Wetaid as the new group CEO.
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Saudi Telecom Appoints New CEO

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has named Olayan Mohammed al-Wetaid as the new group CEO.
Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has named Olayan Mohammed al-Wetaid as the new group CEO.

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has named Olayan Mohammed al-Wetaid as the new group CEO, following Nasser al-Nasser who resigned in November citing personal reasons.

Wetaid will start in his new position on March 28, the company said in a statement to Tadawul.

It said that Wetaid has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry and worked at Saudi Aramco before joining STC.

He holds various positions and is currently the senior VP of the consumer unit at STC and was previously CEO of STC Bahrain.

He also heads several STC subsidiaries, such as Channels, Intigral Middle East, and Contact Center Company CCC), and is a board member and deputy chairman of STC Pay. He also chairs several committees of the boards of directors of the group's subsidiaries.

Wetaid holds a bachelor's in electrical engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and has many certifications in the field of ICT, leadership, and strategic planning.

Saudi Telecom Company, the third-largest company listed in the Saudi market, recorded a slight increase in profits to $2.240 billion by the end of the first nine months of last year, compared to $2.225 billion achieved during the same period of 2019.



Gold Slips as US Bond Yields Rise, Investors Assess New Tariffs

Gold rings are displayed in a gold shop in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand August 21, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo
Gold rings are displayed in a gold shop in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand August 21, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo
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Gold Slips as US Bond Yields Rise, Investors Assess New Tariffs

Gold rings are displayed in a gold shop in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand August 21, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo
Gold rings are displayed in a gold shop in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand August 21, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo

Gold prices eased on Tuesday, weighed by higher US Treasury yields as US President Donald Trump announced new tariff proposals on trading partners, including Japan and South Korea.

Spot gold was down 0.2% at $3,328.67 per ounce, as of 1207 GMT. US gold futures fell 0.1% to $3,338.20.

The yield on benchmark US 10-year notes rose to a two-week peak, making the non-yielding bullion less attractive.

"Gold is stuck between a rock and a hard place," said UBS commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo, Reuters reported.

"Negative for the gold price is the US decision to extend the deadline for a trade deal for many trade partners, positive for the gold price is the fact that key US trading partners in Asia might have to deal with higher tariffs in the near future, weighing on economic growth prospects."

On Monday, Trump told 14 countries that sharply higher tariffs would start on August 1, marking a new phase in the trade war he launched in April, with levies between 25% and 40%.

The new deadline was firm, Trump said, adding that he would consider extensions if countries made proposals for a trade deal.

"Reciprocal tariffs" were to be capped at 10% until July 9 to allow for negotiations, but so far, agreements have been reached only with Britain and Vietnam. In June, Washington and Beijing agreed on a framework covering tariff rates.

Meanwhile, China has warned the Trump administration against reigniting trade tensions and threatened to retaliate against nations that strike deals with the US to exclude it from their supply chains.

Trump's tariffs have stoked inflation fears, further complicating the US Federal Reserve's path to lower interest rates.

Investors await minutes of the Fed's June meeting, due on Wednesday, for more clues into the bank's policy outlook.

Spot silver fell 0.1% to $36.71 per ounce, platinum rose 0.2% to $1,372.51, and palladium rose 0.6% to $1,117.33.