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.



Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed firm winter fuel demand expectations against large US fuel inventories and macroeconomic concerns.

Brent crude futures were down 3 cents at $76.13 a barrel by 1003 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dipped 10 cents to $73.22.

Both benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wednesday as a stronger dollar and a bigger than expected rise in US fuel stockpiles pressured prices.

"The oil market is still grappling with opposite forces - seasonal demand to support the bulls and macro data that supports a stronger US dollar in the medium term ... that can put a ceiling to prevent the bulls from advancing further," said OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong.

JPMorgan analysts expect oil demand for January to expand by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year to 101.4 million bpd, primarily driven by increased use of heating fuels in the Northern Hemisphere.

"Global oil demand is expected to remain strong throughout January, fuelled by colder than normal winter conditions that are boosting heating fuel consumption, as well as an earlier onset of travel activities in China for the Lunar New Year holidays," the analysts said.

The market structure in Brent futures is also indicating that traders are becoming more concerned about supply tightening at the same time demand is increasing.

The premium of the front-month Brent contract over the six-month contract reached its widest since August on Wednesday. A widening of this backwardation, when futures for prompt delivery are higher than for later delivery, typically indicates that supply is declining or demand is increasing.

Nevertheless, official Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed rising gasoline and distillates stockpiles in the United States last week.

The dollar strengthened further on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's entrance into the White House on Jan. 20.

Looking ahead, WTI crude oil is expected to oscillate within a range of $67.55 to $77.95 into February as the market awaits more clarity on Trump's administration policies and fresh fiscal stimulus measures out of China, OANDA's Wong said.