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Over 850 Companies Plan to Join 'Made in Saudi' Program

A general view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (Reuters)
A general view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (Reuters)
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Over 850 Companies Plan to Join 'Made in Saudi' Program

A general view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (Reuters)
A general view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (Reuters)

Secretary-General of Saudi Export Development Authority (Saudi Exports) Faisal Al-Bedah revealed on Wednesday that more than 850 companies have applied to join the "Made in Saudi" program.

Al-Bedah highlighted the program’s objectives, namely increasing domestic consumption and market share of domestic goods and services, increasing Saudi non-oil exports in priority export markets, and enhancing the attractiveness of the Saudi industrial sector for domestic and foreign investment.

“Made in Saudi program promoted national identity, boosted the contribution of the private sector to the economy, launched the capabilities of promising non-oil sectors by developing their exports, and enabled the creation of teams through small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-enterprises," said Al-Bedah.

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, who is also the authority’s chairman, launched the initiative under the patronage of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

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Gold Hovers Near Record Levels, Fed Meeting in Focus

A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Gold Hovers Near Record Levels, Fed Meeting in Focus

A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)
A participant shows gold bars during the 21st edition of the international gold and jewelry exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)

Safe-haven gold firmed on Monday, trading near an all-time high scaled in the previous session, while the market's focus shifted to the US Federal Reserve's meeting this week.

Spot gold added 0.5% to $2,997.84 an ounce, as of 1141 GMT. Prices hit a record high of $3,004.86 on Friday amid geopolitical uncertainty.

US gold futures eased 0.2% to $3,006.10.

"We expect prices to edge higher on a similar trajectory with dips bought as FOMO (fear of missing out) trades support the market," said Ross Norman, an independent analyst, Reuters reported.

"In short, we would be surprised not to see the $3,150 level in the coming months much as we had forecasted - albeit much quicker than we had anticipated."

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that there are "no guarantees" there will not be a recession in the country, adding to investor worries of an impending economic downturn due to the President's trade policies.

"Short term, we acknowledge that the market has drifted into technical overbought territory, but think the prevailing mood among investors remains one of caution for US equities and confidence in gold," UBS said in a note.

US stock markets closed down sharply last week amid mounting uncertainties arising from tariff threats against the biggest US trading partners.

Markets now await the Fed's two-day monetary policy meeting that ends on Wednesday for clues on the interest rate trajectory. The Fed is widely expected to keep rates on hold after having reduced them by 100 basis points since September.

Bullion tends to do well in a low interest rate environment and is also seen as a hedge against geopolitical turmoil, economic uncertainties, and inflation.

Spot silver was flat at $33.79 an ounce, while platinum rose 0.6% to $999.20, and palladium gained 0.9% to $973.50.