Khartoum Reviews Decision to Seize Lands Owned by Saudi Investors

Saudi investments in the country are estimated at more than USD 6 billion, according to the head of the Joint Saudi-Sudanese Business Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi investments in the country are estimated at more than USD 6 billion, according to the head of the Joint Saudi-Sudanese Business Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Khartoum Reviews Decision to Seize Lands Owned by Saudi Investors

Saudi investments in the country are estimated at more than USD 6 billion, according to the head of the Joint Saudi-Sudanese Business Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi investments in the country are estimated at more than USD 6 billion, according to the head of the Joint Saudi-Sudanese Business Council. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Sudan’s Minister of Investment, Dr. Al-Hadi Muhammad Ibrahim, underlined on Monday a strategic plan to solve issues pertaining to Saudi investments in his country.

He said he was looking forward to activating the banking mechanisms between the two sides, after the removal of Sudan from the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

The minister also stressed the importance of Saudi investments in Sudan, as one of the most significant resources for the development of the Sudanese economy that provides job opportunities for the youth.

His remarks came during a virtual meeting with members of the Executive Committee of the Saudi-Sudanese Business Council to discuss the main obstacles facing Saudi investors in Sudan at the request of Eng. Hussein Saeed Bahri, Chairman of the Council.

Bahri told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting focused on the reality and size of Saudi investments, the obstacles facing such investments, and the need to develop a clear strategy to solve related problems.

He added that the discussions emphasized the need to find a solution to the problem of ports and the means to provide fuel, in addition to reconsidering recent decisions to reclaim some lands owned by Saudi investors in Sudan.

He also quoted the Sudanese Minister of Investment as saying that Saudi investments would receive great attention from his government, as they currently constitute the biggest share of investments in the country.

The head of the joint business council pointed out that Saudi investments in Sudan were estimated at more than USD6 billion in agriculture, industry and the services sector, with a particular focus on agricultural and livestock projects.



WTO Slashes 2025 Trade Growth Forecast

Chinese made cars, including Volvo and other brands, are seen at the port in Nanjing, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on April 16, 2025, as they wait to be loaded onto ships for export. (Photo by AFP)
Chinese made cars, including Volvo and other brands, are seen at the port in Nanjing, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on April 16, 2025, as they wait to be loaded onto ships for export. (Photo by AFP)
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WTO Slashes 2025 Trade Growth Forecast

Chinese made cars, including Volvo and other brands, are seen at the port in Nanjing, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on April 16, 2025, as they wait to be loaded onto ships for export. (Photo by AFP)
Chinese made cars, including Volvo and other brands, are seen at the port in Nanjing, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on April 16, 2025, as they wait to be loaded onto ships for export. (Photo by AFP)

The World Trade Organization sharply cut its forecast for global merchandise trade from solid growth to a decline on Wednesday, saying further US tariffs and spillover effects could lead to the heaviest slump since the height of the COVID pandemic.
The WTO said it expected trade in goods to fall by 0.2% this year, down from its expectation in October of 3.0% expansion. It said its new estimate was based on measures in place at the start of this week, Reuters reported.
US President Donald Trump imposed extra duties on steel and car imports as well as more sweeping global tariffs before unexpectedly pausing higher duties on a dozen economies. His trade war with China has also intensified with tit-for-tat exchanges pushing levies on each other's imports beyond 100%.
The WTO said that, if Trump reintroduced the full rates of his broader tariffs that would reduce goods trade growth by 0.6 percentage points, with another 0.8 point cut due to spillover effects beyond US-linked trade.
Taken together, this would lead to a 1.5% decline, the steepest drop since 2020.
"The unprecedented nature of the recent trade policy shifts means that predictions should be interpreted with more caution than usual," said the WTO, which is also forecasting a modest recovery of 2.5% in 2026.
Earlier on Wednesday, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) agency said global economic growth could slow to 2.3% as trade tensions and uncertainty drive a recessionary trend.
The Geneva-based WTO said disruption of US-China trade was expected to increase Chinese merchandise exports across all regions outside North America by between 4% and 9%.
Other countries would have opportunities to fill the gap in the United States in sectors such as textiles, clothing and electrical equipment.
Services trade, though not subject to tariffs, would also take a hit, the WTO said, by weakening demand related to goods trade such as transport and logistics. Broader uncertainty could dampen spending on travel and investment-related services.
The WTO said it expected commercial services trade to grow by 4.0% in 2025 and 4.1% in 2026, well below baseline projections of 5.1% and 4.8%.
The expected downturn follows a strong 2024, when the volume of world merchandise trade grew by 2.9% and commercial services trade expanded by 6.8%.